Redemption Song
by VampireQueenAkasha
Summary: NUKA WORLD: After being captured, a trader offers to clear out the parks in exchange for her freedom. Along the way, she finds herself in various predicaments...and unusual romances. - M for reasons - (Mags BlackXOC)
1. Welcome to Nuka World

**Redemption Song**

 **Author's Note** : My First Fallout 4 fic. It's one I had to write and finish. Honestly, I can't believe I've never done this sooner. LOL. Anyway, this may be slightly AU by comparison and takes place primarily in Nuka World. All it's characters featured will be in this fic. It was inspired by the song by Bob Marley.

" _Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves."_

― Henry David Thoreau

 _"I've been doing this a long time- manipulating people to get my way. That's why you think you love me. Because I've broken you down and built you back up to believe it. It wasn't an accident. Once you leave this behind... you'll see that."_

― C.J. Roberts, Seduced in the Dark

 **By: VampireQueenAkasha**

~O~

 **Welcome to Nuka World**

 _"Welcome to Nuka World! American's favorite vacation destination!"_

The Pack was unusually excited this morning.

Not that they weren't always a rowdy bunch, but they seemed especially delighted given the howls and chorus of animal chatter from the Amphitheater. The sounds could be heard from the Parlor, much to the disdain of the Operators.

"They brought in some new shipments." one of the Operators muttered. "Well, I wouldn't worry too much. It's robably just a bunch of furs. They'd blow a load over those."

"You're disgusting." another Operator said, making a face.

"Hey, it's true and you know it."

Then, there was the alarm.

The sound reminded all of them that there was a worthless Wastelander running their Gauntlet and the Overboss would give them a show.

It had become tedious these days; just watching Colter adorn himself with such ridiculous armor and parading himself around like a prized showhorse.

At least, Mags thought this.

Colter had become nothing more than a cozy king in his mountaintop, leaving them with no orders and nothing to show for retrieving Nuka World. It had become frustrating for all of them; even the Disciples and all their ways of violence, childish cut-throat delights...

Several of them made their way to the arena, but Mags paused and noticed Mason whistling while carrying a leash in hand. Attached to the leash was no doubt probably a trader or unfortunate Wastelander; a fair young thing that crawled on all fours beside him. She was wearing a little cat helmet on her head, adorned with bright pink and yellow paint. Well, such a thing wasn't particularly uncalled for by Pack standards, but it did make Mags stare.

"Well, well," Mason muttered, his tone a bored, languid drawl. "Another day, another bloodbath. I'm bored as shit..." He tugged the leash, urging the slave forward. "Come on, let's get inside and sit down. I ain't got all day."

Once inside, Mason was showing off the woman to the other members of the Pack. Mags could make out little snippets of the conversation and spot them through the barbed fence between the floor levels. Each gang sat in a specific place dedicated to them.

"...Yeah, I got her trained up good too! Watch!"

Mason gestured to the woman. "Go on. Shake hands!"

She straightened on her knees and pawed at Mason's hands like a dog. The Pack Alpha chuckled and he nodded his approval. Then, he beckoned with one finger.

"Good! Good! Now, roll over!"

The woman silently did as he asked and laid on her back, rolling over onto her front like a dog. The Pack laughed at the sight and Mason seemed equally pleased.

"See?" he told them. "Ain't nothing a little training can't do."

"Well, Mason has himself a nest slave after all," William interrupted Mag's thoughts; he grimaced with disgust and shook his head. "Great. Now we have to listen to them all night..."

Mags made a humorless sound. "Well, it's not the first one, either. As long as it keeps him entertained like an obediant little mutt, why should we care?"

"Fair point." William agreed. "Let's just watch the show. It'll be over quick again anyway."

And it usually was.

The pitiful Wastelander had made his way through the Gauntlet, and Colter was there in his suit of Power Armor, being tended to by Gage. Most of the raiders knew what would come of this. How it always happened.

It only lasted a few minutes.

Colter proudly boasted his victory after stomping down the Wastelander beneath his electrified boots. The Disciples were shrieking for more blood - which was never a problem for them. That was how they were kept satisfied, regardless of how boring things had been.

Mason yawned and tugged on the leash he was holding. The woman at his feet had been hugging his leg the entire time. Perhaps it had been how she was "trained". Maybe she clung to him as a safety blanket so it kept her from the other Pack members. Either way, Mags continued to watch from the corner of her eye.

"Come on. Let's get back." he ordered.

She walked away beside him on all fours once more. Just an obediant little pet.

Once night fell, the sounds of screaming could be heard in the air. Mags had been trying to sleep, but completely gave up on the idea. Normally, she could tolerate it as it was. The sounds of slaves crying, screaming and pleading was just the music of Nuka World. Still, something about tonight had kept her awake and annoyed.

"Any movement from the Disciples?" she asked, approaching William.

He was sitting at the expansive table at the center of the Parlor, going over some notes. "Just a night raid at the station. A few of our guys noticed Dixie leading the charge. It's nothing serious. Ain't worth the scouting trouble."

"Well, things will get serious if Colter doesn't get a handle on this situation," Mags said. "One of us should speak to Gage. It's been almost a year and we've accomplished nothing. This place was meant as a temple to greater things, not a hovel for fucking animals and psychopaths."

William nodded and waved a hand in the air for emphasis. "Living large in that damn mountaintop of his made him lazy. We can't keep going on like this. Already bored of the Gauntlet."

"Let me talk with Gage." Mags suggested. "If this doesn't work, I wouldn't be surprised if Colter finds himself at the other end of a knife. The Disciples will be the first to jump at that. If so, it'll save us the trouble."

"Right."

O

Two members of the Pack were fighting that morning.

"Dude, did you fucking fuck up my poster of Nuka Girl?"

"What? No!"

Mason listened to the arguing from the two raiders, rubbing his forehead while they fought over the stupidest shit he'd ever heard. His slave sat on the floor near his throne, scooping up fingerful's of cram and shoving it into her mouth.

"It's fucking jizz all over my goddamn poster!"

"What? I fucking jizz when I jerk off! I assume the same shit happens to you when you blow a load!"

Mason slowly shook his head.

 _Fucking animals._

"...I mark my territory, bitch!"

"MY POSTER OF NUKA GIRL IS NOT YOUR FUCKING TERRITORY!"

Mason stood up, watching as the two began to rough each other up. Several other Pack members laughed and cheered, clapping their hands and taunting. It took one of them to flip the other across the table nearby, shattering it to splinters.

"Alright, that's enough!" Mason snapped. "Are you fucking shitting me? I am not sitting here, listening to you two fight over a fucking poster. I'm talking to Gage and getting us back on track before I lose my fucking mind listening to you."

He rose, tugged the leash and the woman at his side followed him. Mason made his way out of the Ampitheater and was mildly surprised to see Nisha and Mags already talking with Gage. He made his way toward them.

"...Look, all I'm saying is we can't go on like this for much longer." Mags told Gage. "Things aren't going to stay quiet forever. You know it and I know it."

"Finally, something we can agree on." Nisha quipped. She turned to Gage. "I hope you have a plan on turning this around for us. Because if we have to sit here with nothing to show for it for a single moment longer, it's not just Colter's life on the line. I'll personally put you on the table myself."

Gage nodded, holding out two hands. The thought clearly worried him. "Now, now...let's all just calm down, everybody." he assured them, "Listen, I know things have been a little slow lately - "

"Slow?" Mason growled out, staring at him furiously, "You call sitting on our asses for a year A LITTLE SLOW?"

"Okay, poor choice of words. I got it. I'll talk to him," Gage assured them, backing away a bit. "I'll talk with Colter and we can organize a meeting. You can all voice your complaints then."

"Maybe it's not talk the man needs," Mason said, glaring coldly at him now. "See, when my old man had something to tell me, he told me with the end of a fucking rocket bat. You feel me?"

Gage backed up. "I'll talk to him."

"You'd better." Nisha warned.

Mason looked down at the woman on the leash. "Let's go. I'm bored already."

She briefly met the stares of the other raiders, her eyes heavy and sad. But there was something else there. Something that Mags caught. She was quite adept when it came to reading others; such was how she had functioned as a wealthy member of Diamond City. She knew that faint, dim glitter of irritation.

This slave wasn't quite broken just yet.

It intrigued her, but she had other matters to focus on. The situation of meeting with Coulter and what they would discuss.

O

The following morning, Mason's enraged voice filled the entire Amphitheater. He stalked his way through rows of Pack members, shoving them in the process. A lot of them were startled by his vehemence and stumbled into each other.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he snarled. "None of you saw a single fucking thing?"

He was clutching a broken shock collar in his hands and thrust it into the face of a Pack Scavver. "Hey! What's this?"

"Uh... a collar?"

Mason brutally tossed it at his feet. "Real smart fucking answer!" he shouted. "Why the fuck does my den mate not have it on her neck?"

"She...took it off? Maybe?"

"No one knows how to take these things off but us!"

Gage could hear the sounds of Mason rallying a few members of the Pack and they were making their way to the gates of Nuka World. He frowned, quickly moving over to meet with them. Mason was addressing two of his raiders.

"When you find her, bring her back to me alive," Mason told them. "You hear?"

"Yeah, no worries, Mason."

Gage looked at them. "What's going on?"

"We have a runaway," Mason told him. "Don't worry about it. She couldn't have gone very far without supplies and weapons."

Gage was confused. "Wait, are you talking about your den mate? Mason, how'd she get away?"

"I don't fucking know, alright?" Mason growled, glaring at him now, "I have no fucking idea how she got that damn collar off, but when my guys drag her ass back here, I intend to find out."

Gage noticed the collar in his hand now. Curious, he gestured for it. "Mason, let me see that."

"Whatever."

He slapped the collar into Gage's hands and the man studied it for a few moments. He made a thoughtful sound and smiled a little.

"She disabled the shocking mechanism," he mused, "Well, well, well... This has never happened before. To ANY of the traders. Interesting..."

"Yeah. I got that." Mason snapped, no longer interested in listening. "But you can believe that when she gets back, I'm going to clip that bird's wings permanently."

O

Laura Holdren hid away in the abandoned building in Bradberton, shivering and holding herself against the cold. She knew that the Pack was on the hunt for her, but she'd hoped to use the dark to her advantage. But in the attempt, she could hear the sounds of Ferals nearby. The groaning, the snarling and the shuffling of their feet.

She shut her eyes.

Being out here was preferrable to being Mason's pack slave. His days of touching her. Taking what he wanted...

It had been difficult to sneak her way out of the amphitheater; most of the Pack raiders had spent time patrolling the main gate. But Laura had always been small and easily missed. As a woman of little importance in the grand scheme, she often went unnoticed by many.

It was horrible how the one time someone finally took notice of her, it had to be a raider Alpha.

If she could figure out the layout of this place, she could return to the Commonwealth and get back home to Diamond City. But the problem she had to deal with now was food and weapons. She hadn't counted on what Nuka World would unleash on her. After all, she'd been dragged from its gates and into Mason's "loving arms".

The sounds of barking filled the air and Laura's heart shot up into her throat. Mason's Pack was looking for her and they were close. Even more so, she could hear the familiar sound of chatter nearby. She quickly ducked from flashlights and hid herself in a closet filled with old Nuka World merchandise and souveniers.

"...So I showed off my colors and she's busy shooting up Psycho."

"And what happened?"

"Well, she said it was just 'cool'. I mean, I ain't going for cool here! I'm fabulous! Look at my plummage, man! I should be bringing in the girls!"

"It's cool, man. Plenty of foxes in this Pack."

"Yeah, but I had a feeling about this one, man."

"You ALWAYS have a feeling. Remember the one last month?"

Laura closed a hand over her mouth when she heard the noise of Mongrel Hounds sniffing in the building she was hiding away in. One of them stuck their wet, sticky nostrils into the door and Laura made a desperate attempt to get it away.

"Shh!" she hissed. "Slit, go away! Please!"

The hound she recognized belonged to Slash, one of the Pack Kennel Guards. She had been bitten a few times by the Mongrel when she'd been given Cram to eat and it tried to steal it from her.

"Hey, I think ol' Slit's found something." a Pack member whispered.

"Huh. You're right." another whispered back.

Laura struggled to stifle her whimper, but the door was ripped open and she began to plead desperately for mercy, even as she was dragged out.

"Found the little birdie!"

"Shit, Mason's gonna roll your head, bitch!"

Being dragged back to Nuka World had earned the attention of the others, who seemed more delighted by Mason's struggle to keep a slave in line. Dixie had chosen to study Laura as she sat on the ground while the others were arguing. Laura had a collar slapped right back on her and a leash.

"...she got out somehow and I want to fucking know who did it!" Mason snarled.

"Do you really think anyone's going to walk into that shitty litter box of yours?" Nisha sneered right back. "Please..."

Dixie chuckled. "Y'all are gonna need to work really hard with this one," she said, still watching Laura. "She's faking it."

Laura was suddenly aware of eyes on her now. She didn't know why Dixie seemed so intent on creating chaos, but then again, she wasn't among the Raiders of Nuka World long. The Disciples - as they called themselves - were a violent bunch.

She had seen brief instances of carnage and death from behind that mask she was made to wear. When Mason dragged her around on a leash.

But what else could she do besides take whatever he had given her?

"What?" Mason growled, his pointed stare fixed on Laura. "How do you know?"

"Trust me," Dixie told him, with a smile in her voice, "You get up close and personal with your share of victims, you learn all you need about them. It's all in the eyes, you see."

Mason wasn't a fan of liars, especially when the liars were slaves. He grabbed Laura by her rags and forced her to her feet. She gave a frightened whimper and grabbed uselessly at the hands that gripped her.

"Lying to my face?" he growled. "You'd better pray to whatever God you answer to that I don't - "

Gage raised a calming hand. "Mason! Mason, hold up a sec."

He whispered to the Alpha while Laura was dropped to the dirt. She sat there, watching them warily. She could hear Gage softly saying, "Let's just try something different. This one's...a...a little sharper than the others."

Mason, surprisingly, didn't argue with him. Gage looked at Laura and knelt down at her level, speaking evenly.

"Now look here; it ain't doing you much good lying to any of us right now. In fact, it might make it even worse for you later," he told her, "All you need to do is tell us who removed your shock collar and we'll take care of the rest, understand?"

Laura warily watched the raiders around her before she answered. "I did."

A few laughs from the raiders. Gage frowned. "You did? YOU removed the collar? Show me. Show me how you did it."

Upon his order, Laura led the raiders into the market and she gathered a screwdriver and a rubber-coated bobby pin. She demonstrated how she'd done it by applying enough force to the shocking mechanism. All the while using the rubber-coated bobby pin to stop the flow of electricity from the collar.

"Huh. Well I'll be damned," Gage remarked, amused. "You worked with tech before?"

Laura nodded her head, speaking quietly. "Yeah. My dad lives in Diamond City. He taught me a little bit." she answered.

"Well hell...A little bit worked wonders for you here." Gage seemed impressed.

While they were talking, the others certainly didn't share Gage's sentiment; Mason didn't enjoy what was going on, given the way he furiously glared at Laura the entire time.

"We're wasting time learning when we could just gut her right now," a Disciple whispered to Nisha.

"He's right." another Disciple muttered. "We need to do something about clearing out the parks. Not playing with our food."

"And how would you like to do that?"

"I dunno. Maybe walk in a straight line?"

The comments went by ignored for the most part. Laura could make out the frustration of the gangs and turned to face them.

"What if I cleared them out?" she asked.

The stares she received from each one of them were almost too hilarious to be intimidating any longer. Then, every raider began to laugh wildly at her suggestion. Laura's face reddened with embarrassment and she lowered her eyes for a moment before she continued.

"How about a deal, then?" she offered, forcing as much resolve in her voice as she could. "If I can clear out every park, I get to go free."

"I have a better deal," Savoy snapped, taking a step toward her with his knife drawn. "You do that, you die. We win, you still die."

Nisha raised one hand to him. "Wait a moment. I think this has potential, Savoy. If she's really so willing to perform a public service, who are we to deny her?"

The other Disciples looked at her, confused and surprised by her suggestion. Nisha smiled a little from behind her mask. "Let this little sheep bet her life if she wants. It could be fun to watch."

Dixie laughed with delight. "You got a point there."

Mason scoffed, shaking his head and grabbing Laura by her arm. "You can all talk about whatever you want!" he spat, "But she's MY nest mate and I say she ain't doing shit!"

Gage held up two hands. "Mason, now hang on a second..."

Mags looked toward Laura and the woman caught her stare. She flinched away, refusing to make eye contact with her.

Interesting.

"...if she thinks she has what it takes, it could be fun to watch her try," an Operator said, with a chuckle. "We should let her go for it."

A few mutual agreements between them. After all, what else did they have left to do?

O

Lizzie was fixing a set of makeshift metal armor on Laura's chest. She watched the little slave with a curious smile. Laura winced as an Operator fitted a few belt buckles around her thighs a little too tightly.

"Well, you're a cute thing, but don't think that's gonna help you out in the park," Lizzie remarked, with a chuckle. "Don't get me wrong. I kinda hope you DO survive, but we ain't counting on it. Whatever you do out there, can't be worse in here."

Laura looked at her, wincing again at a dull slap to her back. The Operator armor was heavier than the Pack furs; she knew they wouldn't bend any sort of comfort for her sake. Plus, this would certainly protect her well enough.

She thought Lizzie was sympathizing with her to a point, but didn't answer her.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Lizzie quipped. She chuckled. "Fine."

Laura looked at her worriedly when she backed away to admire her handiwork. "Shouldn't I have a gun to use?"

Lizzie gave a bark of amusement. "Really? You think we're gonna give you a gun?"

Well, Laura had assumed so.

Lizzie laughed, departing from her so that Mags and William could approach Laura alone. The other Operators departed, leaving them to talk with her.

"I admire your fortitude, though misguided as it is," Mags remarked, smiling. "What makes you think the rest of them would keep their word to set you free?"

Laura shook her head. "I don't know. But anything is better than here."

It was another small show of defiance. Mags looked her up and down, mumuring her approval before she nodded, approaching her. Making sure that William couldn't see her, she slipped a small hand pistol discreetly into Laura's hands.

Laura's eyes widened in surprise and Mags tilted her head, smirking.

She wasn't sure why Mags had chosen to give her the gun, or why she even seemed like she was giving her advice, but Laura didn't think on it and decided to just get her trip over with. It felt like a trap to her, but saying no to them certainly didn't feel optional right now.

She was led to the gates of Nuka World by a group of raiders from each gang. One of them offered her a map of the amusement part and Laura took a moment to study each detail before she looked up at them. They were sneering, laughing at her as if the idea of what she was about to do amused them to no end.

She looked down at the map, eyes falling to Galactic Zone.

That would be where she'd start.

So Laura started forward.

It was unbearably hot out, so she picked up a piece of cardboard and used it to shield her eyes on the way through the park. The sounds of locusts filled the air; it was loud and almost unbearable.

She noticed the sight of the metal, decayed planets and ships overhead, wondering just what she was going to face alone inside.

~O~

"Oh good, I found you!"

The almost gleeful voice of the Mr. Frothy chilled Laura's bones as she took cover behind an old magazine stand. She'd managed to find a note on a corpse of a woman at the entrance; Laura could only assume that people had tried to survive in the part and were killed by the robots.

Glancing down at it, she read the note in her head:

 _4/8/2286_

 _Dad said we're heading out to the Galactic Zone again tomorrow._

 _I'm still not sure how I feel about these salvage runs. It's amazing to see how much of the old tech still works- I wish I could stay and study it all. But Dad's crew is just there to rip it apart and haul it back for scrap; As if the world didn't have enough rusted metal and broken circuit boards already._

 _At least I only have to take half shifts. I'm looking forward to getting back to my work on Star Control. I just hope the old mainframe is still running._

Star Control. Well, it seemed like she was on the right track. Laura peeked over the edge of the stand again and couldn't see anyone or anything around.

She noticed the glass windows of Star Control nearby and carefully made her way toward it. The announcer's cheerful voice filled the air from old speakers around her.

 _"Tonight's showing at the Starlight Interstellar Theater will be "Night of the Fish Man's Revenge." Not recommended for children under 5."_

Laura walked up to the glass and pushed it open just enough for her to roll inside. She closed it, mere seconds as an Assaultron was poised right there. She gave a yelp of fright and stared at the single, glowing red optic as it powered on.

"Oh shit!" Laura whispered.

"SCANNING..." the Assaultron spoke in its deep, rich feminine voice, "SENSORS DETECTING SENTIENT LIFE..."

Laura quickly took cover behind a glass cabinet that housed a suit of Power Armor. She could hear the sounds of metal hands scraping against the glass.

From afar, a few Disciples were watching the scene play out. They were being led by Dixie, who just laughed gleefully at the sight.

"Hah, well that didn't last long," one of them remarked.

"Poor thing. Well, at least we can watch that Assaultron fry her pretty little head." Dixie added, clapping her hands together. "Ooh, let's watch!"

The Assaultron's head plating folded back against its metal skull and the beam strengthened before discharging, shattering the glass of the door and sending Laura ducking for cover, behind a console. The clacking of the Assaultron's feet echoed through the room.

Laura shrieked in terror as she was knocked to the floor by the full weight of the robot. Its claws clasped down onto her chest and it leered down at her with that single, glowing optic. Laura looked over her shoulder and noticed a pistol lying in the hand of a corpse.

She struggled for it, moments as the Assaultron's eye began powering up once more. Groaning with effort, her fingers wrapped around the trigger and she yanked the gun up to the machine's eye, firing round after round at it.

Metal chunks fell from the Assaultron and it gave several human-like grunts before recoiling from her. Laura struggled to her feet and pocketed the gun on her belt. She grabbed a nearby trash can and began to beat the machine with it.

The Assaultron sputtered electricity, uttering "ERROR - ERROR" several times in the process. It tried to swipe at Laura's face, but she narrowly missed it, receiving only a small scratch across her cheek. Once the Assaultron collapsed in a pile of broken metal and wire, she stepped over it toward the enormous console. On a black screen, green lettering appeared:

 _OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS_

 _Star Control: Build v.1.1.7_

 _The Systemized Telemetry for Automated Robot Control (Star Control) system, developed by RobCo Industries (TM), is a complete solution for corporate clients needing to administer a large number of robots and defensive systems._

 _Star Control technology is build on a series of highly redundant, interchangeable telemetry modules (Star Cores). At runtime, these Cores establish a radio communications interlink between the Star Control mainframe to coordinate their actions and issue commands irrespective of their underlying operating protocols._

 _Individual Star Cores may be safely replaced during normal operation. In the event of a major failure, Star Control can still boot into a limited-functionality Emergency Mode if at least one Star Core is present. While the system is in Emergency Mode, all robots and defenses will continue to act on their prior operating instructions. As Cores are replaced, a series of emergency protocols will be progressively unlocked as computing resources permit, allowing the user to react to urgent problems until full functionality can be restored._

 _For additional sales, service, or technical support, please contact the RobCo Enterprise Solutions division. Thank you for choosing RobCo._

From afar, the Disciples and Dixie were surprised by the sight.

"Well, this little girl's a bit of a spitfire after all." Dixie remarked. "I think Nisha's going to love this one."

Laura typed a few keys on the mainframe's keypad. All around her, the robots had suddenly stopped functioning. She grinned triumphantly and looked over her shoulder, delighted by the sight of her victory. Well, that had been a little easier than she'd thought.

Turning her focus back to the mainframe, she continued typing until she brought up a new screen to deactivate the defense protocols of the park. She chose that option and suddenly, every robot around Star Control was brought back online, going about their primary functions as normal.

Laura beamed with delight and made her way out of the building, only to be met by the Disciples and Dixie. She raised two hands and Dixie clapped with an enthusiastic giggle.

"Well, well, well, there's more to you than we thought!" she said, "You managed to subdue these robots with only a scratch!"

Laura glanced down and noticed that the scratch from the Assaultron had begun bleeding. She wiped her hand against her cheek and glanced down at the blood there. Dixie took a step forward and tilted her head, taking Laura's wrist.

"Aww, what's wrong? Worried about a little blood?" she sneered, almost too maliciously to be playful now. "You'll be seeing a lot of that!"

Laura swallowed thickly as Dixie laughed.

She wasn't wrong.

O

"So she managed to get the Galactic Zone up and running for us."

"Beginner's luck. I say."

"Maybe so. But Dixie seems to think she has potential."

Nisha and Savoy were talking about the news of Laura's recent success that evening. Nisha had been quite impressed, and it took a bit to impress her. Savoy, however, simply considered it to be a fluke and nothing more.

"We should keep an eye out for her." Nisha suggested, "Perhaps this little game could be turned around in our favor."

While they were talking, Mason had argued with Gage about returning his nest mate back to the Pack side of the park, though Gage had other ideas.

"Mason, as much as I cherish the thought of you happy with a significant other..." Gage began, dryly, "I think this girl has to stay focused on her task at hand. She's already cleared out Galactic Zone for us. Hell, she might even be able to pull this off."

Mason scoffed, but seemed to consider the other raider's words. "Maybe..."

"I'll give the order over at Cappy Cafe that she stay there for the night," Gage added, "She can have some rest and end up ready by morning."

Meanwhile, Laura was being tended to by Lauren; a simple dab of the cut on her face with some alcohol she'd been given by Maddox in the market. Laura hadn't been in the Market for some time, so she hadn't met most of them who slaved under the thumb of the raiders.

"Well, well, it's not too bad," Lauren said, with a smile. "Good to see you'll be spending the night with me. I ain't had much company lately."

Laura glanced up, surprised. "Really?"

"That's right. I got orders," Lauren assured her. "Says they don't want you fucked too badly before going back out there." She smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes. "Must have made an impression on the - Hey! You shoot my help, and you're gonna be the one pushing that broom. You got that, tough guy?"

Laura looked surprised and noticed that a Pack Raider in a bird mask had been bullying one of the traders in the cafe; a young, black-haired man who clutched a broom and ducked his head away from the raider, frightened.

"Just havin' a little fun, granny. Keepin' the kid on his toes." the Pack Raider said, chuckling with a grin in his voice.

Lauren scoffed and Laura was amazed at how feisty she was. She laughed in a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

"I don't give a mole-rat's ass how many of you Raiders there are. In here, it's my bar an' my rules." Lauren snapped at the Raider.

Amazingly enough, nothing more was said or done. Laura chuckled as she watched the Raider make his way to a table to talk with the other Pack Raiders. The man made his way to Lauren's side, still holding the broom. Laura smiled weakly up at him.

"Trouble?" she attempted.

Lauren gestured to the man. "This is Keith Dawkins. He works with me here in the cafe. Boy works harder than anyone I know."

Keith managed a weak laugh in response. "Just doing my part to make our overlords happy!" he joked. He laughed again, but then looked worried. "Don't tell anyone I said that..."

Lauren stood up and glanced toward the few Disciples, Operators and Pack Members nearby. She took Laura's hand and led her to the back of the cafe where an old mattress had been set up around the shelves.

"You can take the bed," Lauren told her, "I'll sleep on these old magazines."

Laura looked surprised. "I can't ask you to do that."

"Hah! Don't worry! Slept on much worse than that before I ended up here!" the older woman assured her, "You need your rest before tomorrow. Everyone's been buzzing about it."

Laura still wasn't sure how she was going to do this. When she'd made the deal with the raiders, it was in a desperate attempt to be free. She didn't know what else Nuka World had to offer or if they'd even keep to their end of the bargain.

"This is crazy..." she muttered.

Lauren laughed a little. "Welcome to Nuka World, kiddo."

Laura raised an eyebrow. She was tired and didn't want to think about it anymore right now. So she laid down on the mattress and struggled to get comfortable. It wasn't as hard as when she had to sleep on a bed of hay in the Amphitheater. And at least Mason wasn't here. It made things much easier.

For now, anyway.


	2. High Noon at the Gulch

~O~

 **High Noon at the Gulch**

"Hey, get up!"

Laura was awoken by a kick to her knee from a Disciple; wearing a mask that completely covered her face. She had a gun in her hand and had it aimed at Laura's head. The woman immediately jumped to her feet and stood at attention.

"Colter wants to talk to you," the Disciple said. "Get moving."

Laura looked worried now. "W-Why?"

"Don't ask me, now go!"

She didn't ask again and the Disciple led her out of the cafe. Once outside, Laura noticed Mason, Nisha, Mags and William all waiting for her with Gage at their side. They seemed a bit troubled, so now Laura was uneasy. Whatever it was, it had to be bad if they looked the way they did.

"Come on, let me talk with her," Gage said, taking Laura's shoulder.

"What's going on?" Laura asked, warily. "Why does Colter want to talk to me?"

Gage sighed, making a face. "Well, it seems like he's caught on to what we've been doing. It was probably bound to happen. Shit floats down river, you know? Anyway, don't worry. All you gotta do is tell him what he wants to hear."

"Wait. You mean, the truth?"

A smile lit Gage's face. "No. What he wants to hear. You'll see what I mean when you meet with him."

Laura wasn't exactly convinced of this, but it seemed as if she had little choice in the matter as he was already leading her toward Fizztop Grille. There had been a makeshift elevator built around the building, but Gage didn't take her there. Instead, he walked her to the doors and they passed through the main lobby before walking to the elevator.

"Don't worry," Gage assured her, "It'll be alright."

Laura was surprised by the vote of confidence, but maybe it was more for himself too. Once they were on the top floor, the elevator doors roared open and they stepped into the most comfortable-looking quarters Laura had ever seen. She raised her eyebrows at the mannequins poised in unusual positions placed all around her. She also noticed the Power Armor he'd used in the Gauntlet Arena nearby.

"Gage!" came the shout from Colter in the other room. "That you?"

"Yeah, Boss." Gage said. He looked at Laura and gestured with a flick of his head. "Come on, kid. Let's go."

Laura hesitantly followed him out to the overlook and found Colter standing behind one of the counter tops, pouring himself a glass of what she could guess was whiskey. He looked different without his armor; still frighteningly huge and covered with scars along with a rough, unshaven stubble.

Shit. He made Mason look small.

"This her?" Colter said, glancing down at Laura. "Heh. Don't look like much."

"Yeah, this is her, Boss."

Colter sized Laura up, smirking. "So, word around the neighborhood is you been busy. You cleared out Galactic Zone?"

Laura swallowed thickly before she nodded her head. "Yes."

"Huh." Colter chuckled now. He waved his hand that still held the glass of whiskey. "Any of these assholes put you up to it?"

"No. It was all my idea."

Gage looked a little surprised for a second, but it came and went quickly. Colter let out a bark of amusement, as if he didn't quite believe Laura.

"Right. And I'm the fucking Bottle." he sneered. "No, seriously; what'd you think you'd accomplish clearing out the parks when I couldn't?"

"I thought I could clear them all out." she offered.

Colter laughed loudly, amused by the idea. "You? Clear out every park in Nuka World?" He cackled and shook his head. "You're a crazy bitch, aren't you? If none of my boys couldn't do it, what makes you think you got what it takes?"

Laura smiled weakly. "W-Well, I'm hard to see."

"What?"

"People don't notice me," Laura told him, "I'm...easy to miss. They were just robots, so I could...um... I could hack at their defenses and shut them down."

Colter seemed to scrutinize her for a moment. "What's in it for you?"

"My freedom."

"Your freedom?" Colter grinned, showing rows of yellow teeth. "You think that if you actually did all that, we'll let you walk right out of here?"

Laura didn't answer. It felt like a trap.

Colter smirked and chuckled. He didn't seem too aggressive now and actually took amusement in the whole thing. "You know what, I think I like you." he told her. "You got spunk. And if you think you got what it takes, then you clear out the parks and you get to walk away. But just remember..."

He took a menacing step forward and Laura felt herself back away. Colter's deadened, black eyes seemed to burn with a fiery challenge. It was the look she'd seen on his face many times in the arena when he was seconds from crushing some poor Wastelander.

"I'm the boss, you hear?" Colter reminded her, shoving a vicious finger in her throat. "Nothing goes on without my say and I ain't having stupid traders doing business behind my back. You remember this friendly warning the next time you try and jump, little frog."

Laura whimpered and nodded hastily. "Okay..." she stammered.

O

Gage said nothing on the way out of Fizztop Grille. But Laura didn't ask either. She was still shaken by her encounter with Colter. Her heart hadn't stopped racing since they'd left. She could definitely see why he was Overboss, but a part of her wondered why the Gangs didn't like him.

Once they were back into Nuka Town USA, she was greeted by an Operator, who grinned at her in such a friendly way, it completely threw her off.

"Hey! You did it, kid!" he said. "Here, have a consolation prize!"

Laura's eyes widened in disbelief when he tucked some Jet into her shirt and she looked at Gage; he also seemed quite proud of her. NOW it felt like the entire place had turned upside down. What in God's name were they proud of and why were they suddenly so nice to her?

"What's going on?" she asked. "I got caught."

The Operator chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, come on; we all get caught sometime." he explained, "But you did good by us. You told him nothing."

Laura furrowed her brow. Now she was confused. She noticed Nisha watching her from the crowd, smiling thinly. The leader of the Disciples whispered something to Dixie, who chuckled with delight and nodded her head. Laura didn't know what that was all about, but she didn't ask.

"I thought you'd all be mad," she said, looking back at Gage.

He laughed and slapped a hand on her shoulder. "Hell, no one's mad now." he assured her. "You took your first encounter with the boss like a man. AND you learned the two most important things in life. You listenin'? Never rat anyone out, and ALWAYS keep your mouth shut."

He gave her another affectionate light slap on the back.

Laura managed a weak smile in return.

Just then, Dixie approached the scene with a smile in her voice. "Hey, Nisha wants a word with you." she said. "Come on."

Laura gave Gage a look and he nodded. "Go on. We'll be ready for you in an hour."

Laura reluctantly followed Dixie toward the Disciple's leader and Nisha beckoned with a flick of her head to follow.

The first thing Laura noticed when she arrived at Fizztop Mountain was the smell. The heavy scent of blood nearly smothered her senses as she entered the lair of the Disciples. Much to her horror, she witnessed decorations of gore, violence and metal all around her. Some of the traders had been shackled to the wall and one of the Discples was tossing knives at one of them like a gruesome game of darts.

"Hey! Watch this!" he hissed to another, "Ten caps says I get this guy right in the dick."

"Hah! You're on!" the other said.

The first Disciple who had spoken tossed the knife and it embedded itself into the trader's thigh. The man wailed in agony and the Disciple sighed with defeat, thrusting his arms in the air.

"Dammit!" he griped, handing a few caps over to the other.

Laura tried to keep her eyes away from the sight and followed Nisha up a metal walkway. She avoided the stares from behind the masks watching her as she was taken to what she could only guess was Nisha's personal quarters; a terminal, a few bloodied shelves littered with remains, a locker and a couch.

"So, what do you think of the place?" Nisha asked, smiling.

Laura held herself a little and her eyes cautiously surveyed her surroundings. "It's...nice..." she lied, "I mean...really...scary. But you seem to like it."

Nisha made a half-amused, half-annoyed sound. "You certainly like to kiss up to anyone around here, don't you?"

"I'm - "

Nisha waved a hand in the air, already bored with the discussion. "You're either smart or you value your life. But that's not why I wanted to talk with you. I want you to listen closely."

Laura raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Um, okay."

"We can only hope that Gage is right about you," Nisha continued, watching her with a thin smile behind the blades of her mask, "He made a lot of promises to get us here, and never followed through. But if you have what it takes to clear out the parks for us, there may be better use for you than just being a simple bed slave to an animal."

Laura's eyes welled and she blinked in an effort to keep herself strong; she wouldn't cry. She hadn't cried before and she sure wouldn't start now.

"That's right. We know about Mason's little late night galavating with you," Nisha smirked a little when she saw she'd hit a nerve, "To be quite honest, I'd assumed you'd be trying to find a way to slit his throat in his sleep by now."

Laura looked away. She was frightened by the thought that yes, she HAD wanted to do that. But it wasn't her. It wasn't her way and it wasn't something she was going to start.

"I just want to go home." she finally said, hating how small her voice sounded.

Nisha chuckled; it was still cruel, but not quite as much as it had been. "Well, if you ever change your mind, you know I will welcome you with open arms. I'm always in the market for new blood to groom."

Laura didn't want to think about the offer. She just wanted to focus on her task of clearing out the next park: DRY ROCK GULCH.

Just as she was about to depart, she passed Dixie, who slipped the handle-end of a knife in her hand. Laura stared down at it curiously, but she couldn't read the look on Dixie's face. She could only hear a small giggle behind that mask.

O

Laura made her way toward Dry Rock Gulch, thinking about everything that had happened back at Nuka Town USA. She especially considered Nisha's words. She'd always known there was bad blood between the gangs. Maybe Nisha wanted to recruit her to take out one rival gang. Maybe.

Still, she didn't want to think of it anymore as she focused on her job at hand. Fortunately, Colter had ordered that she be given proper armor and weapons. Laura had only ever wielded a pistol before and that was just for target practice against Radroaches. The handmade rifle speckled with colorful paint in her hand felt heavier and she wasn't sure how she'd use it. But she was going to try.

Laura looked up, squinting at the sight of a silver and gray trailer in the distance. Shielding her eyes against the sun, she made her way toward it.

There was a young man sitting on a chair atop of the trailer, happily humming a song to himself. He was wearing a knit hat, ragged scarf, clothes and muddy sneakers.

Laura was surprised to see him there. After all, she'd assumed he'd been taken by raiders by now. But here he was, peacefully living.

"Hello?" she called.

The man looked down at her, smiling brightly. "Oh! Hello! A visitor!" he said, climbing down to meet her, "What are you doing all the way out here?"

Laura raised an eyebrow. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Fair enough," the man answered, still very friendly, "The name's Evan. I've been out here for years now." He cast his gaze across the horizon. "I guess you could say that I like the peace and quiet, and the view..." He gestured for her to follow him to the top of the trailer. "Well, come on. Look for yourself. It's something else."

Laura smiled a little and followed him to the top of the trailer. She looked around, amazed by the view. Well, he certainly wasn't wrong. It was definitely something.

"Since you took the trouble to find me, the least I can do is return the favor. Need any supplies?"

Laura snapped out of her reverie and looked at the man now. "Really?"

"Sure!" Evan looked down at a basket near his chair. "Feel free to stay for a while and help yourself to anything else I have laying around the place."

Laura looked surprised, holding out one hand. "Oh no, I couldn't - "

"No trouble at all!" Evan assured her. "Here!"

He offered a bit of melon he'd been cutting up and Laura stared hesitantly down at it, then to his smiling face. It smelled really good and she was quite hungry. So she took a slice and began to tear into it; juices trickled down her chin and neck.

"Oh my God, this is really good!" she exclaimed.

Evan laughed with a bright smile. "Well, I'm glad! You sit here and take all the time you need."

Laura glanced up toward the sun for a moment and remembered what she was supposed to do. Sighing, she rose and took another bite of her melon.

"I have to go. I have a job I need to do. But it was nice talking to you, Evan," she told him, "Stay safe."

Evan nodded his head. "You too. Good luck out there, stranger."

"It's Laura."

"All right. See you later, Laura."

The woman stepped down from the trailer and made her way toward Dry Rock Gulch with a little more food in her belly and a smile on her face.

Well, that had made her day a little better.

O

BEWARE OF BLOODWORMS.

Laura studied the poorly-written sign posted in front of the attraction. She hesitantly looked over it to the mock western houses riddled with bullet holes. Someone had been through here recently, for sure and she knew well enough that Blood Worms were not creatures to trifle with.

"Okay..." she murmured, to herself, "How am I going to do this?"

She held the rifle close to her chest and slowly made her way into the attraction. Her footsteps were slow, careful and quiet. She warily watched her surroundings before noticing a Protectron wearing a cowboy hat nearby a horse corral.

Laura raised her eyebrows and curiously approached.

The Protectron spoke now, addressing her. "OH THANK GOODNESS! IT'S THE NEW DEPUTY. YOU GOTTA HELP ME. MY HERD OF GIDDYUP BUTTERCUPS HAVE ALL FLED THE POKEY!"

Laura laughed a little and noticed the name printed on the robot - The Giddyup Kid. "I'm sorry. I'm not a deputy. I'm just trying to clear out this park."

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY," The Giddyup Kid told her, "I NEED TO FIND MY BUTTERCUPS! WHAT IF IT RAINS?"

Laura made a face. "I'm sorry, I just - "

The sound of a frightened scream turned her attention behind her. She held up her gun close to her face. The Giddyup Kid spoke.

"OH THANK GOODNESS! IT'S THE LAW!" he said.

Laura could feel the ground shaking beneath her feet. She gasped in horror and quickly sprinted up several crates, moments as something moved in the ground - something with black spines. Laura looked down, watching it from the safety of her perch on the roof of Doc Phosphate's Saloon.

"Oh shit!" she gasped. "Oh shit!"

The screaming continued and Laura looked up, spotting a woman fleeing through the attraction; wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans with her arm soaked in blood.

"They're in Mad Mulligan's!" the woman was screaming. "There's too many of them!"

Laura beckoned to her frantically. "Hey! Over here! Come on!" she yelled.

The woman quickly took the chance and rushed toward her. Behind her, something was moving in pursuit beneath the dirt. Laura's eyes widened in horror and she began to panic.

"It's coming..." she breathed. "Hurry! Hurry!"

The woman's blood led a trail behind her, even as she climbed the boxes and crates. In her desperate attempt to reach safety, it caused the wood to splinter and her to fall back to the ground. Laura reached desperately down to her.

"Jump! Grab my hand!" she shouted.

The woman jumped desperately, swiping at the outreached hand. Her fingers lightly managed to swipe at Laura's; she was too out of reach. The thing moving in the ground was pacing back and forth, stalking in preparation to strike. Laura watched the movements of the shifting dirt and gravel, eyes wide.

"Shit! Hurry!" she shrieked.

The woman jumped and Laura reached out to catch her arm. She started to pull her up, but the ground erupted beneath the woman and a four-pronged maw spread open with a roar. Laura's eyes widened in horror and the jaws clamped down hard on the woman.

A tortured scream burst from her throat, followed by a spray of blood from her mouth; it splashed across Laura's face and neck.

A deadened, pain grimace touched the woman's face and she mumbled deliriously "tell Terry I'm sorry". The Bloodworm closed down harder on its prey and dove back into the ground.

Laura screamed, staggering back from the edge of the roof. She huddled as far as she could go until she was up against a cactus display. When she bumped it, she shrieked again, whirling in fright before falling to her side and clasping her hands over her mouth.

Several frightened, hysterical whimpers choked up in her throat. Her eyes were still wide and she couldn't stop her heart from racing.

O

Laura didn't know how long she'd laid there, covered in that poor woman's blood. She didn't know what to do or how she was going to clear out the attraction.

 _"Mad Mullligan, Miss Trixie, Sheriff Bruce, One-Eyed Ike and Doc Phosphate are making their rounds at Dry Rock Gulch. Stop by for a photo opportunity."_

The sound of the announcer broadcasting the message snapped Laura out of her trance. She couldn't stop the hysterical giggle that burst from her lips.

She sat up, glancing over the edge where a spray of blood still remained from the woman who had been devoured by the Bloodworm. it made her feel sick to her stomach and dizzy.

Her eyes widened and she turned her head to one side, wretching all over the roof. Oh God; the combination of blood and vomit smelled awful. She wiped her mouth with one shaking hand and struggled to her feet, watching the attraction for signs of life.

No Bloodworms. Just the Protectrons.

How was she going to do this?

Then, she remembered the woman mentioning Mad Mulligan's and she could see the attraction nearby. That must have been where the creatures were coming from. Maybe there was a queen or something. Once she took out the queen, the rest would die.

Hopefully.

She carefully jumped from one roof to the next, making her way to Mad Mulligan's Minecart Coaster; it wasn't far and there was a wooden path set up on the ground, perhaps that would keep the Bloodworms from hearing her footsteps.

She reached the roof of the ride and slowly scaled her way down, landing in front of the door. After trying to open it, she found that it was locked. Scowling, Laura took a step back and aimed her rifle at the door, firing several rounds at it and splintering the wood to bits.

Laura stepped inside, looking around at the western-clothed mannequins and gift shop nearby. She spotted a few bottles of Nuka Cola and quickly hurried to pop them open and drink. The soda was warm, as always, but it had never been more refreshing than right now.

The sound of hissing turned her attention toward the tracks that led deeper into the ride. She made her way through, gun at the ready. She passed a dead Brahmiluff lying against a makeshift shack; its body was horribly swollen and something writhed inside.

Laura froze, watching the sight with wide eyes. She backed away from it, stumbling into a crate. Its contents poured out and she looked down with surprise, stunned to see several grenades and bottles of vodka. Grinning, she gathered one of the bottles and began to rip a portion of her clothes. She stuffed some cloth into the bottle and dug through the crate to find a zippo lighter.

She flipped it open and struggled to light the moltov cocktail, moments as the dead Brahmiluff began to swell.

"Come on, you stupid - " she growled.

The lighter finally produced a flame and she lit the cloth, tossing the cocktail directly at the corpse. It exploded upon contact and a pained screech burst from within. The dead animal's belly erupted in a burst of blood and two Bloodworms fell out, writhing and screeching before curling up and stilling.

"Hah! Yeah!" Laura cried, gleefully. "Not so tough now, are you?"

A piercing screech filled the air that chilled Laura's blood. She turned slowly toward the vast, ruined chamber nearby. The floor had been obliterated and an enormous, spined form rested in the very center; pasty red skin, blue veins and long, horrific maw.

This had to be the queen.

Laura raised her rifle and the creature heard the sound, given the fierce jerk of its head. Its jaw spit in four ways as it shrieked loudly. She stumbled back, reaching for one of the many grenades littering the floor from the spilled crate.

"Shit..." she hissed.

The queen worm slowly made its way toward her, body quivering with every movement. Laura noticed several more were joining in; slithering up from the ground, through corpses and shacks. There were so many of them...

Laura looked down at the crate of grenades and picked them up, heaving them toward the center of the mass of worms. The creatures paused once to sniff it before looking up at the sight of Laura sprinting back in the direction she'd come.

 _"Shoes ruined at the Barnyard Animal Petting Zoo? Pick up a new pair at the Dry Rock Gulch gift shop for only fifty dollars."_

The announcer's voice continued spouting off nonsense, even as Laura was running for her life. She pulled the pin of the grenade in her hand and tossed it back at the worms in pursuit before rushing out the door.

Almost seconds later and the entire attraction went up in an explosion, sending the woman flying through the air. She landed hard in the ground while bits of Bloodworm were tossed near her. Laura shielded her head with both arms and waited until she was absolutely sure it was safe before looking up.

Mad Mulligans Mine Coaster was in ruin, but so were the Bloodworms. Laura heaved a sigh of relief before she looked toward what remained of the Bloodworm queen; nothing but a bloodied head.

 _"Attention. In the event of an emergency, remain calm and obey all safety and shelter instructions provided by Nuka-World employees. Thank You."_

At the sound of the announcer's voice again, Laura simply laughed and dropped her head to the ground. She didn't move for a while.

O

"You should have seen it! The whole thing just went up!"

"Yeah, I heard it all the way here!"

"Woo! Hell of a bang, yeah?"

Laura dragged the remains of the Bloodworm queen behind her while she listened to chatter from Disciples, Operators and Pack Members alike. Some of the traders were even watching her with a mixture of awe and confusion.

She made her way toward Gage, who was in the middle of a conversation with a Disciple. When he saw her approach, his eyes widened as Laura dropped the head of the queen Bloodworm at his feet. He blinked, stunned by the sight of it.

"Damn, woman; you really did it!" he exclaimed.

Laura blinked, her eyes glazed over with exhaustion and pain. "Yeah..." she said, "Should be safe for you guys to...move in... I guess."

She waved her hand absently in the air before making her way to Cappy's Cafe. Once inside, she sat down behind the counter, and Lauren was just walking up. When she saw the distant stare on her face and the shaking in her blood-soaked hands, she sighed gently.

"What'd you see out there, kiddo?" she asked.

Laura's features pinched and she struggled to force down a sob. "Someone was alive on the Gulch. I tried to help her but..." She cleared her throat and struggled again to keep herself from crying. "She was eaten. By those Bloodworms and I... I couldn't help her."

Lauren sighed through her nose again. "Well...this happens. It's our lot in life. But you just don't think about it, okay? That's all we can do."

She bent down and retrieved a cloth from under the counter and a bottle of vodka. Then, sitting down in front of Laura, began to pour some of it onto a rag. She began to wipe Laura's face down slowly with gentle, soothing strokes.

The younger woman shut her eyes, wanting desperately to find some manner of relaxation in what was happening. But she couldn't get the sight of that woman dying out of her head. The way she'd looked at her once those jaws clamped down...

"You're really kicking ass out there, kid. We're all rooting for you." Lauren said, with a small smile.

Laura barely reacted at all as Lauren continued to clean her face.

She was tired.

O

The gangs began to move themselves into the Galactic Zone and Dry Rock Gulch. Laura was made to follow to assist in the projects as well as other traders. Mags and William were standing beside her, watching the Operators set up in the Galactic Zone.

"Well, it's certainly appropriate," Mags remarked, folding her arms across her chest, "I believe this particular location will have Lizzie occupied well for a while."

William murmured with amusement. "A lot of tech to be gathered here. Way to go, uh..." He started to congratulate Laura, but fell short when he forgot her name.

"Laura." the woman replied, quietly.

"Laura. Right." William nodded his head. "You did well by us. So far. Keep up the good work."

Laura raised an eyebrow, surprised by the compliment. Mags simply smiled a little when she caught the surprised look. She gestured to her brother and gave him a wave of her hand. William understood the motion and walked off to check up on the Operators at work.

Laura looked up at Mags, who drew closer, a smile on her pale features. "Come to the Parlor tonight. We need to discuss important matters. Just you and I."

A small nod from the woman. She swallowed thickly at the way Mags looked at her; those dark brown eyes seemed to glitter with amusement and subtle mischief. It made a scalding shiver run down her neck. Still, she knew she would be given little choice in the matter. It was best to just do it.

That evening - Laura had lost track of the time - she made her way to the Parlor and found that she preferred this particular location above the other two. In terms of environment, it was cleaner and everything seemed to be in much better place than the Disciples or the Pack's domains.

A few Operators were practicing shooting targets in the corner and Lizzie was in the kitchen, preparing what looked like grenades.

A few looked up at her, but said nothing. They didn't seem interested in her as much as the Pack had been - especially Mason.

Laura was led toward the stage, where Mags was in the middle of smoking a cigarette and looking down at a piece of paper. She was listening to something an Operator was talking about.

"...She's from Diamond City. Not much special about her."

"I see. You can go." Mags bid him away with a small wave.

The Operator departed and Mags looked up at the sight of Laura approaching. She smiled pleasantly and gestured for her to follow in another room. Laura reluctantly did so and found herself taking a seat upon Mags' silent gesture; it was a chair in front of a mirror surrounded in broken bulbs.

"I've been watching you, Laura," Mags told her, "And I know you've been talking to Nisha. What did she have to offer you?"

Laura fidgeted with her hands for a moment. "Um...she offered to have me join her gang."

Mags' brows went up. "And?"

"I said no."

Mags murmured curiously, but said nothing more on the subject. Instead, she made her way to another chair next to Laura and took a seat. The woman felt herself scrutinized to her very core by the way Mags stared at her.

"What did you see?" she asked.

Laura wavered a bit before her features crumbled and she fisted her hands at her eyes. Mags sighed heavily, rolling her eyes as she watched the woman softly weep in her hands.

"You haven't been out there long, I see," Mags continued, "You haven't seen the cold, cruel reality of this world. It can be frightening, I know. The first time usually is."

Laura choked back a sob and stared at her with tear-streaked eyes. She was so confused. Mags simply smiled and leaned forward, taking Laura's hand in hers. The touch surprised the woman and she glanced down at it.

"You're trying to play a game you're destined to lose, Laura," Mags told her, with a chuckle, "Trust me, the only way you stand on top is through sheer strength of will...and caps. This place was built for the sole purpose of taking caps out of the pockets of fools."

Caps? Laura looked around. So that was what the Operators wanted. Money.

"My people aren't commanded by lunatic bloodlust or animal instincts," Mags said, sneering at the thought of the other two gangs. "We are the only rational players around here and you would do well to remember that should you make any choices in the future."

"Choices?" Laura looked confused. "I just want to go home."

"Of course," Mags replied a little too sweetly. Perhaps she saw something else there. "I look forward to seeing your claims put into action. But do take a little time to consider the kind of life we could all have if we put this place back to doing what it does best. You could be a part of it."

Laura didn't answer. She didn't know how.

"I'm so tired," she mumbled, in her hands; she didn't know how else to answer. After Mason and then the whole thing at the Gulch, it all felt like a horrible weight crushing her, "I just feel...so disgusting."

Mags glanced at the mirror, and then back to Laura. She smiled.


	3. Making An Impression

~O~

 **Making An Impression**

The brush felt nice in her hair.

Mags stood behind her, brushing her hair and Laura hadn't questioned on the oddity of it all; Mags insisted on having her "presentable" and everything that she was properly represent them. As she brushed her, Mags began to talk about the benefits of the Operators and how they were superior to the other two gangs. All the while Laura listened quietly.

"Appearance is everything," Mags told her, "Whether it be the first or last thing a poor fool sees, you must make an impression to yourself and the world."

Laura murmured thoughtfully. In a way, that made sense.

Mags tilted her head down at her. "It's been a while since I had my own doll to play with," she quipped, with a wry smile; she noticed the weak smile on Laura's face and chuckled. "Mother often times tried to take them from me when I was bad and I would sneak with William on the stands to get it back."

Laura hesitantly spoke. "You're from Diamond City too?"

The brush didn't pause from its journey in her hair. "I was." Mags replied. "The Stands, as you've probably deduced. You are as well. There's a former aristocratic way about you that you won't find among the lower life in the Field."

"I did. For a short time, anyway. Until I was seven."

Mags tilted her head curiously. "Hm. What happened?"

"My mother left my father."

There was a sly smile in Mags' voice now. "I see. Someone younger, perhaps?"

"No. Older. A ghoul."

Mags looked a little surprised. "Really? Now that's interesting."

Laura felt a little at odds having what some would consider a reasonable conversation with the raider boss, but nonetheless, she rather relished in it. It was nice talking about home a bit and reminiscing about old times.

Even though her parents had separated, she still lived in Diamond City; she worked with her father in the shop, tinkering away at the little devices and machines he loved working on. She'd always wondered why her mother had left him, but he never seemed to let it get him down.

"We're not much far apart in age." Mags said, when Laura began to daydream of home. "We couldn't have missed one another in school."

Laura shrugged her shoulders with a quiet murmur. "I didn't stay in the Diamond City School for long." she explained, "Mother insisted that it was simply teaching the children to be more intolerant. So she found a private tutor for me instead."

Mags gave a small, amused sound in her throat. "There was truth to her words. In a sense."

"Why do you want to know about me?" Laura looked at her curiously.

"You're a new addition to our little park," Mags said, without consequence, "It's natural for me to want to understand everything. We have no traders from Diamond City who come from a higher upbringing. Consider it a curiosity than anything else. Tell me, is Moe Cronin still pitching his absurd baseball trivia to the unfortunate sheep?"

Laura giggled a little. She couldn't help it. The sound surprised Mags a bit and she paused, smiling thinly at the reaction.

"Yeah." Laura replied. Then, unable to resist her curiosity, she took a chance. "What about you? Do you have parents?"

At that, Mags paused in combing her hair and a thoughtful look touched her face. Laura immediately grew silent, uncertain if she'd crossed a line or not. She shook her head and noticed that the look had passed quickly and Mags continued her task.

"No." she answered, "I tucked them away for a dirt nap myself."

Laura's eyes widened. "You... You killed your own parents?"

"There was little left in Evelyn Black when I killed her," Mags explained, shrugging her shoulders, "But that's what happens to those who use their children as dolls and deny them the caps they rightfully suffered for."

Laura suddenly felt smaller in her chair.

Despite this, Mags showed no interest in pursuing the subject further. Instead, she retrieved a pair of scissors from the table and began snipping away at Laura's hair. The woman sighed, watching bits of hair fall away along her arms and shoulders.

The sound of snipping scissors stopped and Laura watched as Mags moved around the chair to study her sunken-eyed features and cracked lips. Work hadn't been kind to her and from the looks of old green-mottled bruises, neither had Mason.

She reached for a small container of pink color and opened the lid. Reaching in with her pinkie finger, Mags regarded the woman in the chair.

"Part your lips." she said.

Laura looked at her for a moment, a little taken by the request before she slowly parted her lips. She felt Mags' finger against her lower lip and had to seize every part of her body as not to jump. The little touch of that finger against her lips - working the pink color - made her shudder internally.

"Hm. Well, I've certainly worked with worse," Mags remarked, "Now...perhaps a smoky eye."

Laura continued to sit still as Mags continued to apply makeup to her face; each touch was delicate, yet precise. Mags focused on the work with all the grace she was wont to possess and Laura was her little living doll.

When she was finished, she turned Laura's chair around so that she could get a good look at herself in the mirror. Mags seemed quite impressed and Laura didn't even recognize the woman looking back at her from the reflection.

She smiled and reached her hands up close to her face, delighted.

Mags placed two hands on her shoulders and leaned close to her ear. "When we make our mark on the world, they remember you for generations. What will you be remembered as, Laura? A weak, whimpering plaything to an animal? Or a fierce goddess who stands above the broken and battered?"

Laura laughed weakly. "I don't know."

"Hm. Well, it all takes time," Mags said, straightening, "How about you step outside and bring me something to drink from the market? Let them see the woman you were meant to be."

Laura chuckled a little, unable to fathom the odd change between her and the gang leader. So she stood up and took a deep breath before making her way out of the Parlor. She was aware of many eyes on her in her trek; some were confused, others were surprised and even a few traders stared at her as if she was a completely different person.

She hesitantly watched those scrutinizing her. Even a Disciple who passed paused and glanced back with a murmur. Laura warily waved at her with a sheepish smile.

It made Laura feel suddenly powerful; it was like walking naked, but shameless for all the world. She felt like the goddess strutting across the world as Mags had claimed. It made her smile with pride as she made her way to the market. She stopped at one of the trader's stalls and was given a Nuka Cola Victory and a wine.

Aaron Corbett noticed her first. "Hey, must be nice getting off that leash, huh?" he quipped.

Laura stopped in front of his stand and nodded. "Yeah..."

Aaron gave her a funny, bitter smile. "Gangs must take a shine to you," he continued, "Don't get too used to it before that collar goes back on."

"Look, I'm only doing what I can to get home," Laura argued, with a frown.

A biting laugh from Aaron. "Oh yeah! The makeup really proves it!"

"I don't need this right now, okay? At least you're still alive, right?"

Aaron gestured around him with wide arms. "You're right, life is wonderful!" he sneered, "Thanks so much for opening my eyes!"

Laura glared at him before turning to go. Behind her, she could hear a trader start to get into an argument with him.

"I'm telling you, that rifle is stolen! Some Raiders hit my farm and grabbed it! Hell, they're probably here right now!"

Aaron sighed. "Look, pal, I don't know anything about it." he said, annoyed, "You can either pay the caps and take it home, or you take it up with one of the guards. I'd pick the first option if I were you. The last guy who complained doesn't walk so good anymore."

A few moments before the trader scoffed. "You know what? Just forget about it..."

On the way back, she noticed the two Pack members who had retrieved her from Bradberton making their way into the market. Laura froze, eyes widening. When they saw her, they grinned and walked up, whistling and catcalling.

"Wow, look at the painted up kitten!"

"Yeah, Mason will love to see you lookin' like that!"

"You should see him! He misses you."

The sneers and jeers from them made Laura feel sick. The traders watched the sight with a mixture of disgust and unease. Naturally, they could do nothing to stop it. A few of the other raiders were just laughing as they watched.

Laura mumbled and tried to push her way passed them, but they blocked her path. One of the Pack members grinned and raised his eyebrows.

"Maybe we should tell him she's been hanging out with that Operator bitch, huh?" he suggested. "I mean, who else paints themselves up like that?"

The other grinned, pretending to think. "Oh man! That would really piss him off won't it?"

The first Pack member swatted his comrade's shoulder. "Wow. She passed up prime Alpha for snatch! Can you believe it?"

"Hey!"

The three noticed Gage making his way into the market, glaring at them. He approached, seemed to quickly assess what was going on before he gestured for the two Pack members to go.

"Beat it and find something to do!" he snapped.

A few sneers and dirty looks, but the Pack members sauntered off, leaving Laura still clutching the Nuka Cola and wine; she was shaking, but otherwise, never more happy to see another raider in her life.

"Hey, what's going on out here anyway?" Gage asked, frowning down at her, "What are you - Oh."

He raised his eyebrows at the sight of her made-up features and chuckled a little. Laura managed a weak smile in response. Gage shook his head with amusement.

"Mags' work, huh?" he said, "Well, guess you're out here doing an errand. It explains the reason you got Nuka Cola and alcohol. Alright. You best get back to her then and rest up for tomorrow."

Laura nodded her head too fiercely. "Thank you, Gage."

He didn't reply, but walked with her on her way back to the Parlor. Upon returning, Mags was sitting at the expansive table and smiled when she saw her. Laura set the Nuka Cola down in front of her along with the wine.

"Hm, good choice," Mags remarked, taking the offerings. "How was the walk? Everything I'd said it would be?"

Laura shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to tell her what had happened. Fortunately, Mags didn't press the issue and instead, poured herself a glass of the Nuka Cola and wine. She mixed it up with her finger before tasting it. She seemed to be watching Laura with a strange sort of intensity in her gaze, one that had the woman quickly looking away.

"Well, I trust you're going to be well rested for tomorrow," Mags told her, "We have a busy day ahead of us."

Laura nodded her head. "I'll try."

Mags paused and raised an eyebrow. Laura quickly corrected herself.

"I mean...yes." she said.

"Good." Mags seemed satisfied with the response.

It took a few moments before Laura finally mustered enough courage to ask what had always been on her mind since she'd arrived. Plus, Mags seemed to be more pleasant to speak with than the others, so she took a chance.

"Do you enjoy hurting me?" she asked.

Mags furrowed her brow. She hadn't expected it, but the question wasn't one she had been used to. No one had the nerve to even question her actions. Instead, she smiled and chuckled.

"What an absurd question," she remarked, "To ask a raider if she enjoys harming another human being."

"I was curious, that's all," Laura replied; her voice took on a small biting tone that she hadn't really intended, "I don't meet too many who get pleasure in hurting someone else because they can."

Mags sighed impatiently and rose. "I'm bored with this inane prattle."

She got up and walked away, leaving Laura alone.

O

"Fuck you, Lizzie. When my crew finds out about this, they're going to wear your skin."

"Okay, we're just going to call you Eight. Eight, would you please stop talking?"

Laura made her way into the Parlor upon Mags' request and found Lizzie in the kitchen with a Disciple strapped to a chair. Both of them looked toward her when she entered. Lizzie smiled brightly when she saw her.

"Ah, Laura!" she said, "Good to see you. I wanted to be the first to inform you that the Galactic Zone has yielded impeccable results. I have more than my share of materials ready to me for research. You've done well in your efforts. And efforts such as these should be rewarded, don't you think?"

Laura couldn't take her eyes off of the Disciple sitting there. "Um. Yes..." she said.

The Disciple spat in Lizzie's direction and the woman sighed with dismay. She shook her head and looked at Laura briefly.

"Would you excuse me? I have work I must continue," Lizzie told her, "Science marches on."

Laura hesitated in the doorway, watching as Lizzie retrieved a spray bottle of fluid.

"As you can see, Eight is currently not receptive to my suggestions. Now, deploying the formula..." Lizzie said, spraying the mist directly into the Disciple's face.

Laura departed, making her way through the Parlor and up to Mags and William; the two were in the middle of a discussion and looked up as the woman approached. She took a deep breath and Mags seemed to notice her first.

"Ah, good. You're here," she told her, "I have a gift. For you."

Laura looked a little confused as she was handed a rifle marked with Operator symbols and colors. She stared down at it and turned it in her hands for study.

"You'll be needing a better weapon," Mags continued, "One that...better suits your task."

Well, it certainly seemed that the Operators were being generous. She still didn't understand why, but didn't dare ask.

"Do you know how to use it?" William asked, watching her skeptically.

Laura made a helpless smile in response.

William rolled his eyes. "Great..."

"William, perhaps you could educate her on how to use it," Mags suggested, turning to her brother, "I think that - "

The three looked toward the kitchen at the sound of Lizzie's shout. William quickly made his way into the kitchen and the sound of a meaty smack filled the air. A few moments passed and Lizzie stepped out, holding her throat.

"Thank you, William," she said, weary and shaken, "I-I'm going to need a minute, before I bring in number nine."

O

"Don't hold your breath in like that."

Laura exhaled all the breath out of her lungs while William instructed her on how to handle the rifle. There were two test dummies lined up in the Parlor; they had red circles marked on them, indicating sensitive and vital parts on the body.

William adjusted Laura's arms and rifle a few more times. "If it kicks, it's gonna hit you in the face if you hold it too close." he warned, "Not gonna lie, that would be funny, but you got a job to do."

Laura made a face. "Sorry."

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it out there," William argued, frowning. "Now aim and squeeze."

Laura nodded and held the rifle up, taking a shot at one of the circles near the groin of the mannequin. William raised his eyebrows with a sound of amusement and another Operator actually cringed where he sat, holding himself beneath the table.

"That's one way to go," William quipped, shaking his head.

Laura glanced over toward Mags, who was listening to another report from an Operator woman. She furrowed her brow and caught herself daydreaming again when Mags had taken the shock collar off of her neck.

 _"Is this a trick?" Laura asked._

 _"No. You can't very well have it on when you're out there."_

 _And so, Laura tensed as Mags unclasped the collar from around her neck, watching her face for any falsehoods._

 _Mags smiled and watched the other woman stare down at the place it once was, as if perplexed by its absence._

 _"How does it feel having that off?" Mags asked, smirking._

 _"Honestly, a little weird," Laura admitted. "Like a great weight was just taken away."_

 _Mags continued to smile and gave a lingering caress to her neck._

Laura hadn't thought about the touch until now. It made her think about Mason for some reason; how rough he was and how he'd take what he wanted without warning. But Mags... Did she want her in the same way? She wasn't entirely blind to the lingering glances and the touches.

"Hey!" William clapped his hands together when he noticed Laura daydreaming.

Laura gave a yelp, startled by the abrupt sound. She accidentally squeezed the trigger, which resulted in the gun firing off a bullet; it ricocheted off of the training dummy, bounced all over the Parlor and had Operator's ducking for cover.

A bottle was shattered. Wood was splintered and the bullet went flying through the double doors where they heard the sound of a yelp of pain outside. Mags had stood, watching the chaos the entire time before she glanced over her shoulder with an impatient frown.

Laura smiled sheepishly, peeking over from her place she'd ducked beneath. "Sorry."

 _Several years ago_

 _Mags was silent as her mother watched her rigidly. The younger woman was standing while she had measurements taken for an ungodly dress she would be made to wear. Evelyn Black paced around the room while Mags stayed quiet._

 _Evelyn gestured for the dressmaker to leave and the woman quietly did so. Mags glanced briefly at her mother before Evelyn began to brush her hair._

 _"You are not to see that woman again, do you understand me?" her mother said, turning her daughter around so that she could look at herself in the mirror. "I won't allow it."_

 _Mags sighed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, stop it mother. You'll give yourself headaches again..."_

 _Her mother grabbed her arm, forced her to turn around. "Do you think I delight in this?" she hissed, glaring at her with a fierce grimace, "Do you think I'm proud to tell everyone at dinner what you've been doing? You're a member of this family. A proud family. I won't see you throw it away for some pitiful farm trash."_

 _"In case you've forgotten, I know my share of important people, mother."_

 _Evelyn glared at her, lips forming a thin line. Her nails dug into Mags' arm tighter and she brought her daughter close to her face. Mags rolled her eyes, refusing to look at her._

 _"There is a name you make for yourself, Mags." she hissed, "Your father and I have so much riding on this and you - "_

 _"Of course you do," Mags sneered, smiling coldly now. She held up her palms, which had patches of rough scarring, "You remind us every day."_

 _"You never listen to me," Evelyn continued, releasing her. "What happens to you is because of your actions. You, Bill and that Wyath girl continue to spill mess all through Diamond City and we must clean up after you! Have you no shame? No, of course not! Why am I asking?"_

Through the Galactic Zone and Dry Rock Gulch, there had been celebrations from the raiders of Nuka World; a few raiders cleared out any stray threats from the attractions, shooting them down in a hail of bullets.

Mags and William watched as Laura carried a cutout of Nuka Girl. She made her way up to them, grunting with effort.

"Samuel says he wants this in his room." she told them.

Mags smiled and nodded. "That's fine. Take it over there for now," she said, gesturing to a pile of things the Operators would take back.

William made a face. "He's just gonna use it to jerk off to." he muttered, "I swear, if I find white stains on the goddamn ceiling again..."

Laura actually giggled at that and the two gang leaders glanced back at her. She felt their stares and smiled weakly before hurrying off to assist the other traders in carrying things.

Mags tilted her head as Laura gestured to the traders carrying a Nuka Cola machine.

"...Turn it clockwise!" Laura said.

"This way?"

"No, your other clockwise!"

Meanwhile, Colter and Mason were in the middle of discussing something in the Fizztop Grille before Gage made his way there; he noticed how aggravated Mason seemed and tilted his head.

"Hey, what's going on here?" he asked.

Colter grinned, stacking some caps up in a neat tower. "Mason tells me that girl cleaning the parks out for us was his little fuck buddy. And now I'm hearing she's cozying up to Mags Black."

Gage raised his eyebrows and dared a glance at Mason. "Just some stupid rumor going around. You know how it is."

"Yeah, but when my guys are sitting around like a bunch of fucking gossiping hens, I tend to take notice," Mason hissed, his eyes darkening.

Gage scoffed. "What the hell do you want me to do about it? She's doing her part and cleaning shit up. We ain't got to risk our guys out there!"

"Gage has a point, Mason," Colter agreed, with a chuckle, "Just gotta find somewhere else to stick your cock. I hear you got a few new dogs in."

He grinned at his joke and started laughing. Mason pursed his lips, nearly fuming. Turning, he made his way out of the Grille and Colter returned attention to his cap stacking. Gage watched him skeptically before rolling his eyes.

Well, at least SOMETHING was getting done around here.

O

RedEye was sitting in Cappy Cafe, in the middle of an elaborate story. Laura was helping Lauren pass around drinks to the raiders nearby and she couldn't help but stare at this interesting fellow. She'd heard his voice on the radio a few times, but never met him in person.

RedEye's left eye was red - as his name implied; he was dressed in flannel, had olive-toned skin and nicely cut hair. He was actually well-groomed by most raider standards.

"So, like, a year ago," he began, "I'm runnin' with this gang. Pretty good deal, I mean I probably could have been in charge, but you know, whatever..."

Laura passed by his table where a few raiders were listening to his story.

"...I don't need that kind of hassel, right? I mean...I'm totally capable of running my own gang; probably the best friggin' gang YOU'VE ever seen. Anyway, I hear this dude Colter is putting together a HUGE ass team of raiders to take over Nuka World and I hear this and I just gotta go check it out! You know, to see if it's the REAL. DEAL."

He noticed Laura and grinned, showing off rows of rotten teeth. Standing, he took her hand and gave it a strong shake, startling her. His energy and outright sudden movements even surprised the others watching the scene.

"Speakin' of REAL. DEAL. I wanna talk about this chick, right here!" he said, "Come on over here! Take a seat with the big kids! You've earned it, man!"

Laura laughed nervously and was ushered to his table. RedEye swatted at a Disciple to get her to move so that Laura could have her seat.

"Move it, spooky!" RedEye ordered.

Laura sat down and tucked her hands in her lap, a bit nervous and uncomfortable by the stares she was receiving. RedEye sat down beside her and he looked absolutely excited to talk with her. It was an unusual change.

"Like, I personally know at least three jackasses who got themselves killed trying to loot the place," he continued, "But shit! You walked right into the Galactic Zone and cleaned up!"

"Well, I mean..." Laura said, hesitantly, "It was no big deal. I just ran."

"No big de- NO BIG DEAL?" RedEye laughed and stared at her in disbelief, "Dude, do you know how LONG we've been sitting on our asses doing nothing? And you, a trader come in and fix shit when Colter's up there sitting on his ass?"

Laura laughed a little while the others seemed to share in the sentiment - albeit reluctantly.

"What's the plan next?" RedEye asked her, "Share with the rest of these psychos what you're gonna do!"

Laura stared at each expectant face, uncertain of how to answer. Was she supposed to have an answer? "Um..." she began. "I... I thought I'd improvise."

RedEye smiled and put an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, I like this kid! Winging it all the way!" he declared, with another laugh. "Like me through most of my teenage years! You wanna talk awkward and shitty. It's like one big..."

His entire speech droned out as Laura glanced at every raider. She couldn't help her laughter. Something about tonight had definitely felt better than it had before.

She had no idea she'd make such an impression on them.

The following morning, she awoke in Cappy Cafe to the sound of RedEye's voice on the radio, making his usual announcements.

 _"Hey, let's get personal for a second here, assholes. Whoever dropped a frag down my favorite toilet... If I find you, you are going to die. Slowly. And Painfully."_

Laura glanced at the radio with amusement and shook her head. She stood up, stretched a little and noticed Lauren making her rounds that morning; wiping the counter top, passing around drinks to a few other raiders and scribbling down notes on a piece of paper.

"...No, I will not tell them to get Funnel Cake..." she said, frowning down at a Pack Scavver. "...Because we're out and there's no reason why you can't get it in the market like everyone else!"

She looked up when she noticed Laura and brightened. "Hey! Good morning, kiddo!"

"Good morning." Laura told her, with a small smile.

"Listen, if you have a chance," Lauren took her aside, "Send these notes to Katelyn Alden and see if she can have her caravan bring these supplies in."

Laura took the paper, looked down at it and nodded. "Okay."

"She's usually by the main gates talking with Shank." Lauren instructed.

Laura left the Cafe and made her way onto the streets. She walked to the main gates and found the woman in question talking with Shank; she'd seen them in passing a few times, but never really knew who they were or what they did. All she DID know what that Katelyn did trading and wasn't bound to a collar. And Shank was never seen without his signature fadora.

"Word is Super Mutants just hit the place. They're still trying to rebuild. Should be easy pickings." Katelyn was saying.

Shank seemed skeptical, straightening the ends of his gloves. "If there's anything left. How good is this source of yours?"

"It's good, Shank. I don't bring you bullshit."

A smile, laced with warning. "And I'd like to keep it that way." He offered her a small handful of caps. "Here. Earned this. Anything else you find out - "

Katelyn interrupted him assuringly. "Shank, you'll be the first to know."

Laura approached as soon as they seemed finished and Katelyn regarded her curiously. "I know you," she said, "You were Mason's little bed slave."

Laura huffed, cheeks reddening. "Yeah. I just came because I have a list of requests from Lauren at the Cafe." She held out the paper to her. "She just told me to bring these to you."

Katelyn took the paper, studied the writing on it before she nodded. She didn't seem interested in even looking at the other woman for long. "I see. Fine. These won't be hard to come by." she replied. "In the future, we can only hope this place prospers. It'll be good for everyone and I won't need to make these kinds of runs."

Laura looked curious. "What do you mean?"

"As long as people feel safe coming here, the caps will flow. But Raiders, they're unpredictable. Quick-tempered." Katelyn waved a dismissing hand in the air. "It's a delicate balance, this place. Lot of reward but just as much risk. All I'm saying is, we don't let things get out of hand. Customers means caps, and caps means everyone's happy. When a bunch of raiders aren't happy any more, the bullets start flying."

Laura nodded her head. That seemed to make sense.

"Meantime, you better watch your back. People who make bad decisions don't last long around here," Katelyn added, giving her a look that spoke volumes.

She wasn't wrong.

That evening, Laura was tossing and turning on her mattress while Lauren slept nearby. She immediately awoke to the distressed, frightened whimpers that escaped the younger woman. Lauren made her way to her side.

"Honey?" she whispered. "Honey, you're dreaming..."

Laura's eyes suddenly snapped open and she wailed, thrashing and sobbing. Between sounds, she was almost begging to not be touched, screeching to be left alone. Lauren quickly struggled to hold her arms away from her face and pulled Laura into her embrace.

"Shhh!" she soothed, "Shhh, it's okay! It's okay! He's not here! It's just me!"

Laura gripped the hands around her tightly and her screams died down into plaintive sobs as she buried her face in Lauren's arm and continued to cry.

"It's okay, honey..." Lauren continued to comfort her, gently swaying the woman back and forth. "You've been hurt, so you go ahead and cry..."

And Laura did cry.

All night.

O

 _Note_ \- The part where the raiders of Nuka World are shooting up the attractions and ridding them of stray threats kinda inspired me to imagine it to the song of "Fly Me To The Moon" by Michael Bolton. A lot of cheerful music to chaos and death seems fitting for Fallout. LOL.


	4. Safari Adventure

~O~

 **Safari Adventure**

 _"Hey, asshole! You're listening to Raider Radio. It's Redeye here, running Raider Radio. You're all a bunch of psychopaths, and I love you for it. This is Raider Radio, and it's for you!"_

Laura awoke to the sounds of sniffing and looked up in time to find a Mongrel Hound staring down at her. Her eyes snapped wide and she looked startled by the sight of the animal.

 _"This here is Raider Radio - don't forget, if you've got something you want everyone to hear, you're probably wrong and whatever it is sucks. But if you insist, drop us a note and we'll read it on-air."_

Laura looked toward the radio at the sound of RedEye and grimaced, smacking her lips. She pushed the Hound away from her, shaking her hand a bit before she stood up, walking out into the Cafe. Lauren was at the counter and looked up. Her eyes filled with concern.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

Laura shrugged her shoulders. "Not great, but not as bad as I could be."

"You had me worried last night." And Lauren looked it.

Laura didn't want to talk about what happened; the nightmare of having Mason on her and unable to move. The fact of it was she hadn't wanted to think about it. She wanted to focus on her task of clearing the parks so that she could leave. But it had all come back at her in her dreams.

"Gage was calling for you at the Grille," Lauren said, snapping her from her thoughts.

Laura nodded her head. She made her way outside and noticed a Disciple speaking to a woman she'd never seen before; blonde hair, Cappy T-shirt and jeans and odd glasses on her face.

"You haven't seen anything that's, um, out of the ordinary around here, have you? Maybe something hidden? Shaped like a bottlecap?" she asked, hopefully.

The Disciple sighed impatiently. "I thought we told you to keep your ass in the market. If you're looking for something, you can find it there like everyone else."

The woman shook her head. "I'm not here for the market! I didn't travel hundreds of miles to go shopping.!" she insisted.

"I don't suppose you came here for a bullet in the brain either, so if you want to live, I suggest you stay where you belong."

The woman made a face, watching the Disciple walk away. "Oh, you guys are just REAL friendly, aren't you?" she quipped. She noticed Laura now and brightened. "Hello! The name's Sierra Petrovita. I traveled all the way from the Capital Wasteland to visit this place."

Laura was a bit surprised to see her standing there without being harmed by other raiders. Maybe they just didn't see her as worth the trouble. Or maybe she was another trader who did business the same as Katelyn. Either way, it was worth talking to her.

"Uh, hello," she said, a bit taken by her enthusiasm.

"Isn't this place amazing?" Sierra exclaimed, gesturing around her.

Laura made a face. "How is this place amazing?"

Sierra stared at her as if she'd grown two heads. "How? Just look around! Don't you see it?" she said, gesturing around her, "You can just imagine the children, smiling and happy, all drinking Nuka-Cola and having the time of their lives. It must have been magical."

"Yeah, magical," Laura quipped, dryly, "I'm sure the bodies hanging around like Christmas ornaments would have really made their day..."

She gestured to a corpse stuck on one of the metal posts that had unfortunately fallen from the weight with a disgusting splat. A Pack member glanced down at it before cackling with amusement. Sierra grimaced a little with a murmur of disgust.

"Well, there wouldn't have been THOSE around!" she reminded her. She looked at Laura again and a hopeful tone lit her voice. "Maybe you've heard about my Nuka-Cola Museum?"

"No, sorry. I haven't."

Sierra deflated a bit with disappointment. "Well, it's a long way from here, so I guess that's not surprising..." She turned her attention behind her. "Well, I'd stay and chat some more, but I've got to get back to my search."

"Search?" Laura looked curious now.

Sierra suddenly looked a bit guarded. "I don't really want to say. It's nothing personal, I just don't know you well enough to trust you. Sorry!"

"I'll keep your secret. You can trust me." Laura was too curious not to know.

Sierra thought about it before grinning. "Well, I am TOO excited to keep it to myself!" she told her, "I guess you could think of me as the world's biggest Nuka-Cola fan. I've been obsessed with the stuff since the first time I tasted it. I collect all the merchandise I can find, like these awesome Cappy Glasses I'm wearing. But these aren't just ordinary sunglasses. They were part of a really cool contest that started just before the war."

Laura stared at the silly caricatures of the Cappy Mascot on the plastic lenses. "Ah..."

"The winner of the contest would get to meet the famous John-Caleb Bradberton himself!" Sierra continued to explain. "So to win the contest, you had to find ten images of Cappy, the Nuka-Cola mascot, hidden throughout the park. Each image has part of a code or something, and only these special glasses can reveal it."

Laura shrugged her shoulders. She didn't see harm in trying to find the Cappys. "I could find them for you." she offered.

Sierra brightened happily. "REALLY?"

"I AM clearing the parks out for the raiders, so it could be nice to learn more about the park while I'm at it." Laura said.

"Good point! You're new here, after all. You should learn everything you can," Sierra said, removing the glasses and handing them to her. "I'll give you my Cappy Glasses and this old contest holotape. It's got hints about where to find the Hidden Cappys."

Laura stared down at the items and smiled. "Okay."

She made her way toward the Grille and stared down at the glasses. Shrugging, she set them on her face and chuckled. Well, they were kind of cute. Gage was waiting for her by the doors of Fizztop Grille and looked up when he saw her. He furrowed his brow at the glasses on her face.

"What the hell are you wearing?" he asked.

Laura laughed a little. "Oh. Sorry..." She removed the glasses.

"Anyway," Gage said, "I have a layout of the park you're going to clear out next: Safari Adventure. Ain't gonna lie; it's gonna be hell. I've had raiders go through it and end up torn apart by what they call 'Gatorclaws'."

Laura's eyes widened. "Gatorclaw? Like, a Deathclaw?"

"Yeah. Think of a Deathclaw on Psycho coming at you like a speed demon."

Laura smiled nervously. "Great..." She looked around for a moment and hesitantly looked at Gage now. "Where's Colter?"

"Hell, I don't know," Gage said, dismissively, "He goes off on his own and don't tell me shit half the time. Don't worry about him right now. Just focus on your job. You've done great so far and I'm hoping you get it all done."

"I think it's just dumb luck." Laura pointed out, with a weak chuckle.

Gage looked at her now, surprised by her dismissal. "You make it sound like it's no big deal." he said, "You've just gotta understand. We ain't ever been on ground this solid before. It's two parks we have claim to, but we've never been THIS close before. You gotta learn to take credit when you need to, kid."

Laura didn't respond. She thought about it, though.

RedEye's voice turned her attention to a nearby radio when her name was mentioned.

 _"You heard it here, folks! Trader turned badass Laura Holdren - am I reading that right? - Yeah, Laura Holdren is well on her way to clearing out the parks on her own! That's right! You heard me! Let's all send out support - or hell, buy her a drink! She's crazy as hell, but she's gettin' her hands dirty for a greater cause!"_

Laura managed a laugh. "I can't believe he's saying all that about me."

Gage glanced at the radio, then smiled at her. "Told you. We've never been on ground this solid before. It's a small change, but a big one for all of us."

RedEye changed the subject. _"Here's an announcement from Mags Black: 'To the Disciple who found a red ribbon on her bunk this morning - you know what you did. As do we'." God, she even writes like a... Sorry, mic is still on."_

Laura tilted her head curiously. She wondered what the Disciple did to Mags to warrant an odd reaction. Still, the raider gang leader was curious on her own.

O

"She's getting better. Still shoots for shit..."

Mags listened to William's report with vague interest. "Hm. Good to hear. She learns quickly. Adaptable. That can be commendable in the greater scheme of things."

William raised his eyebrows and seemed somewhat intrigued by her praise. "You don't talk high about another often, Mags."

A chuckle from his sister. "Rest assured, William; I merely state facts."

"Hm." William raised an eyebrow skeptically, but didn't argue.

He looked up at the sight of Laura walking into the Parlor and approached her. She was talking about something to him that had him nod thoughtfully. Mags watched them from the table and stood when they approached.

"It's good. She's ready to go to Safari Adventure," William told her.

Mags raised her eyebrows. "Hm. That's quite a dangerous undertaking. I trust Gage filled you in on what you can expect there?"

"He did." Laura said, adjusting the armor plating on her shoulders.

She grunted with effort and struggled a few times with the makeshift armor before Mags rolled her eyes and swatted her hands aside to better assist her. Laura stood there, mildly embarrassed and waited until Mags tied down the final strap before she spoke.

"You guys make it look easy..." she remarked.

Mags smiled at that and looked at Lizzie, who was just leaving the kitchen of the Parlor. "Lizzie, do you have what she needs?"

Lizzie nodded. "I do."

She turned her attention to Laura and gestured for her to follow into the kitchen. Once they were inside, an Operator had been sitting there, scratching at his arms. He seemed to fidget a lot and Laura suspected it could have been a chem withdrawl.

"Got a night job coming up. Need something to keep me sharp," he told her.

Lizzie smiled a bit and her tone carried a little barb. "I've got something... but I think you're going to need two doses."

The Operator missed the jibe and seemed relieved. "Oh, thank you, Lizzie."

She sighed impatiently and offered him something in a container.

"I could die tomorrow, but you always find a way to keep me going on!" he added.

Lizzie pushed him away. "Well, I wish you would do it sooner rather than later before you ruin my career the way you've ruined yours. Now out!"

He exited the kitchen without argument. Lizzie turned her attention to Laura again. She shook her head, dusted her hands off and gestured to her work station. A few handmade grenades were laid out in front of her.

"I've prepared a few tools for you when you visit the next park," she said, "Hopefully, it oought to give you a serious edge."

Laura nodded her head and picked one up. "How do they work?"

Lizzie delicately plucked it from her hand. "Be careful with that one," she advised, "It's an incomplete mixture. Quite volatile. I need more test subjects to confirm the mixture is potent enough." She picked up another grenade. "This one is for you. It should be enough to pacify the Gatorclaws. Just in time for a quick escape if need be."

"Thank you." Laura said, with an uncomfortable laugh; she dreaded the idea of coming in contact with the Gatorclaws at all. "I'm sure it will come in handy."

"Good to hear." Lizzie seemed pleased with her response.

Laura gathered three of the grenades as they were offered to her; she placed them into a bag at her side and started to make her way out, but was stopped by Mags. The gang leader regarded her with that same curious look on her face as she had before; when they had been alone in her room.

"Are you prepared?" Mags asked her.

Laura nodded her head. "As I'll ever be."

A smile. "Successful jobs don't go unpaid among the Operators," Mags reminded her. "Good work will be compensated. Happy hunting."

"Thank you." Laura gave a small nod.

Mags stepped aside, allowing her to pass and Laura made her way out into the park.

O

"...Okay, okay, so hear me out..."

"What now?"

"What if this park was just a coverup for something bigger?"

"Shit, you've been listening to that crazy chick outside, ain't you?"

"What if she's right, though? What if there IS something down in that office?"

Nisha barely listened to the inane chatter of her Disciples while she made her way back into Fizztop. She noticed Dixie walking up to her with Savoy at her side.

"Well?" she asked.

Dixie shrugged her shoulders. "Gage says its important."

"He's got balls coming here," Savoy said, with a bite in his voice. "But he thinks he has a way to turn it all around." He scoffed. "How many times are we going to listen to excuses until we finally put him and Colter both in the ground?"

Nisha considered this. "Hm. Gage is only showing initiative because he understands what we could do to him. He knows he can't promote me, Mason, or Mags without all hell breaking loose, so he better know what he's doing."

Dixie sighed with boredom and stretched her arms behind her head. "Come on, Nisha!" she protested, "Just let me skin him and be done with it!"

"No," Nisha said, sternly. Then, her voice lit with sinister amusement at the idea. "At least, not yet." She looked at Savoy and changed the subject. "What about our favorite little slave? How has she faired this morning?"

"Making her way to Safari Adventure." Savoy told her. "I don't know. That place killed more of our guys than anywhere else. Still don't think she has what it takes to come out of that one alive."

Nisha made a thoughtful sound of interest.

Dixie chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, big guy." she argued, with delight in her voice. "She's definitely got more going for her than she looks."

While they spoke, Laura was in fact starting toward Safari Adventure; she could see the mascots of Nuka World as well as a few animal sculptures and posters. She remembered hearing about how animals were kept in zoos before the war for safety reasons. Some people had wanted to kill them for sport and she never quite understood why.

She saw a few Bloodbugs drifting near her and angrily swatted them aside with the end of her rifle. They scattered and buzzed away. Once they were gone, she huffed with annoyance and straightened her armor a little bit.

 _"Attention, guests. To prevent limb-loss, please refrain from leaning over the railings at the Gator Wrestling Show. Thank you."_

Laura entered the attraction and made her way to the soda mixing fountains. She absently brushed a few park maps aside and curiously noticed a hat in the shape of a tiger sitting beneath the stands. She smiled, set it on her head and chuckled.

After taking it off, she set it back on the counter and slowly made her way deeper into the park to explore a bit. She spotted the Welcome Center not too far and decided to investigate that place first for information on what she might expect. So far, everything seemed rather quiet, save for the fake animal sounds from the empty cages.

She carefully tapped the door open with the end of her rifle and slowly peered inside. The location was filled with vines and decay, but most of the terminals seemed to be working. Curious, she walked up to one and sat down at the chair.

Bringing up the screen, it read:

 _Welcome to ROBCO Industries (Tm) Termlink_

 _Safari Adventure Welcome Center_

 _Today's Date Is: ERROR-OUT OF RANGE_

 _Current Time: ERROR-OUT OF RANGE_

 _Park Status: CODE GRIZZLY_

Laura tilted her head. "'Code Grizzly'?" she read, a little confused, "What does that mean?"

So, she tried to read the memos listed on the terminal

 _SA-Memo 051577_

 _From: Guest Relations Department_

 _This month, Safari Adventure will be continuing to host school field trips to our park. Due to the unfortunate accident and subsequent clean-up after last month's escape in the Big Cats area, we're asking that all school groups be accompanied by a minimum of one adult chaperone per six children. In addition, please ensure that all guests fill out a full death and dismemberment liability wavier. Any questions can be directed to the Guest Relations Department._

Well, that wasn't really helpful; though it was concerning about the safety measures of the park before the war. It made Laura shake her head with dismay. Still, she continued to read from them; maybe there would be something a little helpful about the park.

 _SA-Memo 082077_

 _From: Security Department_

 _We're continuing to have security issues with the misguided and radical "A.F.A.D." ("Animal Friends and Defenders") group. These individuals can be visually identified by their animal masks, various animal tattoos and on occasion, full animal suits. If you spot any of these individuals, do NOT attempt to approach. Contact the security office or activate the nearest Protectron pod._

 _SA-Memo 091577_

 _Transcript_

 _SA-Memo 091577_

 _From: John-Caleb Bradberton_

 _Any and all deliveries that are received and marked "Project Cobalt" should be forwareded to the Secure Beverageer Laboratory at the Nuka-World Bottling Plant. These items are not for employee use. Any employee that opens these deliveries without authorization will have their employment terminated immediately._

 _SA-Memo 102377_

 _Transcript_

 _SA-Memo 102377_

 _From: Security Department_

 _Due to the recent security breach by the A.F.A.D. Group at the Cloning Facility, a CODE GRIZZLY has been initiated. Please refer any visitors or requests about the facility directly to Mr. Bradberton's Office. In addition, the Angry Anaconda Construction Site is now off-limits to anyone other than security personnel. The coaster's superstructure has been determined to be dangerously unstable and we wish to avoid personal injury to any of our employees._

Laura furrowed her brow curiously, tilting her head. Cloning Facility? Well, that was certainly interesting. Maybe it was something she had to investigate.

Just then, a soft, rattling growl froze her in her seat and stopped her breathing momentarily. Her eyes widened and she felt her veins fill with ice. Slowly, she peered over the terminal, spotting movement behind a few support beams. Shuddering, she watched the dull, forest-green, leathery form rise from its place of slumber.

On the wall, one of the paintings on the faded mural was an alligator, lying in a river. While she stared, the silhouette of a real alligator head moved out from behind a pillar.

She hadn't seen it when she walked in. It must have been resting...

 _Oh shit, oh shit..._

It's head was elongated with no horns. It had heavy platelike scutes, lined on either side by dull spikes. It also had short, but frightening-looking claws and yellow eyes.

Laura whimpered with fright as the creature rose to its full height, sniffing the air.

The Gatorclaw.

Slowly, she lifted herself from her seat in an effort to make as little noise as possible and carefully retrieved her rifle, aiming it at the creature. It didn't seem interested in her at first; it sniffed the air a few times, jaws clicking somewhat.

Then, it looked directly at her, hissing softly. Laura gasped and began to back away toward the stairs. Through the creature's vision, she was a bright orange thing in a pool of green. The Gatorclaw's eyes seemed to narrow and it gave a horrifying roar, charging for her.

Laura screamed, running up the stairs as the creature was nearly upon her. It stumbled over desks and chairs colliding with the wall as Laura desperately made her way out of the doors. She literally heard the sound of its jaws snapping, like a steel trap.

"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!" she shrieked.

The Gatorclaw charged through and Laura felt claws whistle through the air, narrowly missing her face as she whirled and squeezed the trigger of her gun. Bullets went flying, slicing the Gatorclaw's face and eyes. It screeched, claws digging at its face in the process.

Laura scrambled to her feet and sprinted through the attraction.

 _"Guide maps for our Hedge Maze are available for confused visitors at the Safari Adventure Park Office for only thirty-five dollars."_

Laura's eyes widened in relief. The Hedge Maze! She could lose the Gatorclaw in there! She made her way toward it, panting desperately.

The sight of Cappy's Treehouse loomed over the maze and Laura thought it would be much safer up there. Maybe she could take out the creatures in the process. So she rushed through the maze, narrowly missing the snapping teeth of another Gatorclaw.

"Shit!" Laura shrieked.

The creature snarled, pursuing her as she rushed through the maze. She said a silent prayer that whatever next turn she made it wouldn't be her last. Fortunately, she spotted the sight of the elevator that would lead up into the treehouse and anxiously pushed the button.

Nothing happened.

The Gatorclaw was approaching slowly and Laura aimed her rifle at it, taking several shots to its knees. It stumbled forward with a gurgle and blood poured from its wounds. It began to crawl toward her and Laura cried out in fright, shooting it several times in the head.

Chunks of flesh flew through the air from the force of the bullets, splattering Laura's face. She grimaced with disgust, reaching up to wipe her cheeks. She didn't have time to celebrate the kill as she could hear the sounds of Gatorclaws approaching.

She quickly began to climb the wires of the elevator up to the treehouse. Panting with effort, she spotted another Gatorclaw making its way through the maze, toward her. Her eyes widened in horror and she struggled to climb faster. The force of her movements swayed her back and forth on the wire.

The creature was almost upon her, but the sound of a fierce shout turned her attention toward a man in a loincloth rushing into the fray, armed with a metallic rocket bat.

NOW Laura had seen everything. Her eyes widened and she hung there, watching as the man began to fight with the Gatorclaw; he swung the bat, smacking the creature across the head, dodging swipes of claws and teeth.

Laura continued to watch in amazement as he crushed the creature's head with his bat and it collapsed to the ground in a puddle of blood and broken green flesh. He looked up at her and approached, tapping the wire a little.

"Lady!" he said, "Come down!"

Laura hesitantly slid down the wire and landed on her feet. She looked up at the man with surprise; he had a thin beard and scar across his eyebrow. His hair was tied in a bun and he was wearing what looked like a costume loincloth. He was also rippling in muscle and covered in sweat.

"Cito see you kill Monster. You friend?" he asked, smiling hopefully.

Laura raised her eyebrows. "Are you okay? Why are you talking like that?"

"Cito sorry Cito not talk good. Cito family not talk." Cito explained, with a small shrug. "Cito not talk to man or lady in long time."

"Ah," Laura replied, apologetically, "Sorry. I didn't mean to off..." She cut herself off and nodded to him, smiling kindly. "Yeah, we can be friends, if you want."

Cito brightened happily. "Cito happy have new friend!"

Laura looked around, then to the corpse of the Gatorclaw. She gave it a careful tap of her foot and looked up at him with a grimace. "I have a bad feeling you're going to ask me to kill more."

"You good guesser!" Cito said, smiling. He seemed to miss the tone in her voice. Then, his smile disappeared and he looked grave. "Cito kill Monster. New Monster come. Cito kill Monster again. New Monster come again."

Laura sighed heavily and rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. "I knew this would be a pain in the ass..." she muttered.

Cito tilted his head and didn't seem to get the joke. "Cito not doctor. Maybe find medicine for ass while help Cito?" He didn't ask further and gestured for her to follow. "New friend follow Cito."

Laura did so, following him through the park. She wasn't too sure what was going on here or what was up with him, but she had to find out. He led her toward the Primate House and was the first one through. Laura walked inside and was surprised to see many Ghoulrillas shuffling around the shelter.

Cito looked at her and gently pat one of the Ghoulrillas on the head. "This home. This family." he told her. He looked at the Ghoulrillas and made several grunting sounds to them. He looked back up at Laura. "No worry. They not hurt you. You friend Cito mean you friend family."

Laura smiled a little. She didn't want to be rude. "Uh... You have a lovely family, Cito."

"You say nice thing. Cito like new friend," Cito said, pleased with her words. He gave a Ghoulrilla a little pat before straightening.

Laura nodded. "Okay, um, well... How did you end up being raised by these gorillas?"

"Cito very small when first family die. First family look like Cito," he explained, sadly, "Cito not die, just walk and walk. Find zoo place. Find new family. New family help Cito. Give Cito food, give water. Keep Cito safe. Now Cito big and strong. Cito help family fight Monsters."

Laura thought about what she'd read in the terminals at the Welcome Center. Maybe whatever was in there had something to do with the Gatorclaws. She looked at Cito curiously. "Do you know anything about a cloning facility around here?"

Cito furrowed his brow, puzzled. "New friend say strange words." he said.

"Right, sorry." Laura replied, forgetting that he probably didn't understand much of what she was saying. "Well, do you have an idea of where they might be coming from?"

"Cito...maybe know," Cito told her, "Cito have story. Story help stop Monsters. Cito eat with family. Wrinkly Man come inside home. Wrinkly Man hurt. Cito try help. Wrinkly Man say he make Monsters! Cito mad at Wrinkly Man. Monsters hurt family."

Laura looked surprised by his story. So it had been a Ghoul, no doubt.

"Wrinkly Man sorry Monsters hurt family. He give Cito shiny thing," Cito continued, "He say shiny thing help Cito stop Monsters. Cito try help more but Wrinkly Man die. Cito put Wrinkly Man in ground but keep shiny thing."

Laura watched as he made his way to the cell, picking something up before approaching her again. It was a holotape. Laura glanced down at it, then frowned.

"Well, I could take this to the Welcome Center and give it a listen," she replied, "Hopefully, this will be helpful."

Cito brightened again. "Cito have idea! Cito see Wrinkly Man come from Big Triangle House long time ago. Go to Big Triangle House. Find clo-ning fa-cil-ity. Stop Monsters. Cito come with new friend. Cito help!"

Laura chuckled, nodding. "Okay, I could use the help. Follow me."

Cito seemed quite happy with that and followed her out into the park. They made their way back to the Welcome Center and Laura took the holotape to the terminal. She placed it into a slot and a thick, weak voice filled the air.

 _"This is... Doctor Darren McDermot, last known survivor..."_ A fierce cough. _"...at the Safari Adventure... Replication Facility. This is... my final recording. I've done something horrible..."_ Another cough and Laura cringed at the sound. _"...the thing I created... the thing I called the Gatorclaw...they must be destroyed. They can't be... tamed, they can't be controlled..."_ Another cough. _"...their sheer ferocity is like nothing I've ever seen. And now... the Nuka-Gen Rep..."_ Again, a cough. _"...Replicator is out of control. It's producing them at an... alarming rate... Please... somebody. Anybody! Find my passcode... or Dr. Hein's..."_

A series of coughs followed and Laura looked up at Cito, who listened quietly to the voice coming from the computer screen.

 _"Shut down the Replicator before it's...before it's too late. And if this recording should reach Dr... Hein. Please...tell him... to forgive me."_

The holotape ended and Laura looked up at Cito. "Well..." she murmured, "I think this helps...a little." she said. "So it seems like the Gatorclaws, er..." She glanced at him and corrected herself. "...the Monsters, are coming from an animal cloning facility somewhere beneath Safari Adventure."

She made her way toward a door where another terminal had been placed against the wall. Cito looked troubled by the sight of it. "This door Cito not know how to open."

Laura frowned thoughtfully. "Okay, well, this doctor probably has the password we need."

Cito smiled hopefully down at her. "Shiny thing help new friend?!"

Laura chuckled, nodding. "Yes, it was very helpful. I just need to find the cloning facility."

Cito seemed to think about that for a moment before his features lit up. "Yes! Cito know! It big...what word?" He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "'Ride'. Ride like big snake. Cito see from everywhere. Very big. Very snakey. It up hill behind zoo. Maybe Doctor Man there?"

Oh! Laura remembered seeing the unfinished ride on the map the raiders had given her. That made the most sense and despite Cito's explanation, it seemed to be where she'd find Dr. Hein's password to the facility.

"Good job, Cito. I knew you'd be helpful." Laura smiled and patted his hand.

Cito was thrilled with her words. "Cito help! Cito like help new friend."

Laura stood up, collected her rifle and nodded her head to the man. "Alright, we're off to the Angry Anaconda. You ready?"

Cito nodded his head, determined. He raised his rocket bat and nodded. "Cito ready!"

Laura and Cito made their way out into the park again and Laura found herself a little happy to have someone with her on the journey. It would make cleaning up the mess Dr. McDermot easier. Plus, it was nice to have someone else to talk to.

For now.


	5. Later, Gator

~O~

 **Later, Gator**

The Angry Anaconda was empty.

There didn't seem to be anything or anyone else around.

Laura didn't trust this uncomfortable silence and took cover beneath some nearby tall weeds. However, Cito seemed more interested in standing, so she gestured fiercely for him to follow her example. Cito tilted his head, confused and Laura grabbed his hand, dragging him down with a loud "oof" sound.

"Sorry." Laura whispered.

Cito climbed onto his belly in a crouch that reminded her of one of the Ghoulrillas. "New friend careful." he whispered back. "Monsters smell big two head thing. Eat two head thing."

Laura poked her head up and noticed a Brahmiluff making its way through the unfinished attraction. It seemed oblivious to their presence, though Laura could see a Gatorclaw lurking nearby; it was crouched in tall grass, eyes fixed on the Brahmiluff hungrily.

Poor thing.

It gave a frightened bray and started to flee, but the larger creature jumped out from its perch, fixing claws and teeth into its prey. Laura grimaced at the sight and glanced at Cito, who seemed determined to charge into the battle.

"Monster not see us! Fight now!" he yelled.

He charged for the Gatorclaw and Laura groaned, eventually joining him in the battle as well with much hesitation. She aimed her gun, but Cito was constantly diving in the way of a clear shot. She gave a frustrated sound, moving a little to the side in an attempt to try and find an opening.

"Cito, I need you to move!" she cried, "I can't get a good shot!"

Cito held onto the Gatorclaw's neck, smacking his bat against its head. It writhed and gave a roar of pain, claws struggling to dislodge the man on its back. Laura failed to notice a Gatorclaw lurking behind her from behind a tree. It bared its teeth and snarled before diving forward.

Laura's agonized scream alerted Cito, who looked up with a gasp as the woman was pinned by the Gatorclaw; its claws dug into her shoulder and she screamed again, mere seconds as Cito jumped forward with war-like gorilla sounds. She groaned as the Gatorclaw dislodged itself from her and focused on the new threat.

A few wet smacks filled the air, followed by the sound of something heavy falling. Laura was in pain; she held her shoulder, coming back with red crimson. She whimpered, panted rapidly through her nose and moaned. It hurt so badly and she was sure her arm was slowly losing feeling.

"Oh my God..." she moaned, swaying a little. "Oh shit, that hurts..."

Eventually, Cito made his way to her side and his eyes widened. "New friend hurt!"

Laura hissed sharply through her teeth. "Yeah...I got that." she quipped, through her haze of agony.

"Cito help new friend!"

Cito quickly moved to one of the trailers and began to root through it. He dug around a bit before finding what looked like a carry case with a cross on it. Laura smiled weakly and nodded her head, taking the offering quickly.

"Yeah! Good!" she told him. "Good job, Cito!"

Cito watched her worriedly as she began to remove her armor and shirt. Hissing, she stared back at the three wicked slashes across her shoulder that had begun to bleed. Much to her relief, they weren't as deep as she thought they were; the armor that the Operators had given her had stopped most of the brutal slash, but she had to get them clean.

There were a few bandages, cotton swabs, a Stimpak and some alcohol inside the case. She popped the bottle open and poured it onto her wounds. Giving a shout of agony startled the man there and she grit her teeth, fighting back the tears before looking at him assuringly.

"It's okay, Cito. I'm gonna be fine. It just burns." she told him.

"Burn help friend?" Cito looked so concerned for her.

A strangled laugh escaped her. "Yeah. It's cleaning it." she said. She reached into the case and dabbed at the wounds with a cotton swab. When she saw his confusion, she sought to explain. "If I don't clean it, I can get sick and die."

Cito seemed to understand after a few moments. His features lit up with realization. "Wrinkly Man sick after hurt by Monsters." he replied, "Cito not want friend hurt."

"I should be okay for now," Laura assured him, setting the now bloodied swabs down onto the ground. She smiled at him. "Thanks to your help."

"Cito glad he helped!"

Laura stood up and glanced down at the case Cito had brought to her. She furrowed her brow and stood up, wincing in pain.

"Cito, where'd you find this?" she asked him, holding the case.

"There! In small house." Cito pointed to the trailer.

Laura made her way to the trailer and noticed a skeleton on the floor lying beside a handgun. A dull, outward splatter had formed around its torso, suggesting that the skeleton was once a person who had been shot.

She also noticed the skeleton wearing a labcoat. Curiously, she knelt down and began to root through the pockets of the old clothing. Her hands found what looked like an old holotape marked: PASSCODE. Laura brightened and looked up at Cito.

"This has to be it!" she told him.

Cito seemed quite excited by her delight. "Shiny think help stop monsters?"

"Let's find out." Laura said, rising.

O

The two made their way back to the Welcome Center and Laura approached the terminal. She placed the holotape into the machine and it brought up a new command on screen to unlock the door to the cloning facility. Laura brightened and selected the command. The door clicked and creaked open, letting out a wash of stale, damp air.

"We're in. Let's hurry, Cito." she told him.

Cito followed behind her, rocket bat at the ready. Laura held her gun close, eyes warily watching the shadows around them. They made their way deeper down the stone hallways of the underground facility, passing ruined terminals, desks and shelves.

Laura continued walking before she stepped into water. Looking down, she noticed the facility was flooded up to her ankles. She looked back at Cito briefly before approaching double doors in front of her.

"Okay, we have to be careful, Cito," she reminded him, "There could be more through those doors and I don't want to risk shooting you."

Cito nodded with a reassuring smile. "New friend worry too much. Cito strong!"

Laura laughed a little. "Yeah, maybe so. But you can never be too careful." she said, "I have a gun, but you saw what happened back there. Just be careful, okay?"

"Okay." Cito nodded in agreement.

Laura was satisfied with his response. She turned and slowly pushed the barrel of her gun against the doors, gently edging them open. She peered through the doors and looked around the room where she spotted a large, red machine nearby.

"I think that's it!" she said, "Come on!"

Laura started forward, but a fierce roar filled the air and she froze, horrified to see an albino Gatorclaw looming over them from atop the machine. Its bright pink eyes focused on them and a snarl escaped its parted jaws.

"Shit!" Laura cried, staggering back.

At that precise moment, the Gatorclaw lunged forward. Laura nearly lost her balance diving away from the path of its leap; she stumbled through the ankle-high water and her gun went off, firing a round into a pipe overhead.

The resulting shot cracked the old metal and sent a stream of hot steam directly into the creature's face. It recoiled with a screech, staggering back just as Cito charged. The man jumped directly onto the creature's back, slipped his bat between its jaws and tugged.

Laura had regained her stance and watched as Cito and the Gatorclaw struggled against one another, just as he had before with the one above ground. She groaned with frustration, aiming her gun at the Gatorclaw; she was concerned she'd hit Cito.

"Cito, dammit! Hold him down!" she cried.

She took a shot and it struck the Gatorclaw in the leg. The bullet grazed its leathery hide, causing it to stumble forward with Cito still attacked to its back. It thrashed its head wildly, dislodging the bat from its massive, slavered jaws.

The weapon fell from Cito's grasp, landing into the water with a splash. He looked down with a gasp and was seized by the Gatorclaw in one dangerous hand. The creature tossed him through the air and Laura watched helplessly as he was thrown into a table. It shattered under his weight and he laid there, dazed from the fall.

Laura looked up at the Gatorclaw charged for her now. She squeezed the trigger with a frightened shriek and bullets rippled into its hide. It lurched and grunted with each attack, but continued to charge at full speed toward her.

"No, no, no, no!" she chanted, terrified.

Its jaws opened and Laura immediately forced her gun into its mouth. She tried to squeeze the trigger, but the sound of CLICK, CLICK froze her. Her eyes widened in horror and the Gatorclaw snarled. It seemed still capable of swinging at her, despite its wounds.

"Cito!" Laura shouted, looking back desperately at the man struggling to regain his senses. "Cito, get up! Hurry!"

He staggered to his feet, disoriented. The Gatorclaw - slightly limping from its wounds - stalked toward them. Cito quickly scrambled for his bat and stood in front of Laura, preparing to swing the weapon, but the Gatorclaw gave one final choke before collapsing into the water. Gradually, it began to become stained with red.

"Whoa, we did it!" Laura exclaimed, with an exhilarated laugh. She grinned at Cito. "We did it!"

Cito gestured to the machine. "Not 'did it' yet." he reminded her. "Friend turn off thing."

"Oh, right." Laura nodded her head and approached the machine.

She produced the password and slipped it into the nearby terminal. Cito watched with bated breath as she worked a few keys. The sound of the machine winding down filled the air and Cito looked around wildly at the noise.

"Monsters gone?" he asked.

Laura turned and laughed with relief. "Yeah. They should not be coming back. Your family's safe, Cito." she assured him.

She was startled when he suddenly picked her up and danced around the room with her, splashing water everywhere. She yelped and squirmed, but he laughed with joyous delight, quite happy by their victory over the "monsters".

"Cito, ah!" she cried, "Put me down, please!"

Cito set her down and she gave a weak laugh, straightening her armor a bit.

"Cito so happy." Cito said, with a very happy smile on his face. He tilted his head curiously down at her now. "How Cito thank new friend?"

Laura considered his words and her gaze darkened a degree. She suddenly remembered why she was here and what she was supposed to be doing. Her heart sank at the news she'd have to give to him and why she was here in the first place.

She sighed sadly and looked up at him. "Listen, Cito. You and your family have to get out of here," she said, "Mean people are coming and they might hurt you or your family."

Coto looked surprised by her words for a moment, clearly not expecting that from her. He thought about it for a moment before he too smiled sadly. "Cito sad, but Cito understand. Home too dangerous now. Cito take family and go."

Laura swallowed thickly, watching as he turned to go without another word. She felt a painful clench in her chest.

"I'm sorry..." she said, quietly.

O

Mackenzie Bridgeman worked at Laura's wounds when she returned.

Laura winced as she was threading her wound shut. The silence was far too uncomfortable and she wanted to forget about the look on Cito's face when she warned him about the raiders. So she prompted Mackenzie to talk a bit.

"So..." she said, quietly, "How did you end up in this place?"

Mackenzie seemed just as eager to talk too. "Well, it's a bit of a story. I used to live at a settlement west of here. We got hit by Colter and his gang, back when he had one." she explained. "It was a tough fight. We killed some of theirs, they killed some of ours. There were wounded on both sides, but nobody could get to them."

She wiped down a bit of blood that seeped from Laura's wound with a towel soaked in alcohol. Laura winced at the fresh sting.

"Wow." Laura said. That was all she knew to say.

"Wow indeed," Mackenzie said, with little enthusiasm. "Anyway, I called out for a cease fire on the condition that I'd see to their injuries as well as ours. Saved a few lives that day, including Colter's. When he set up this place, he came back for me. Said if I came along, he'd make sure his guys wouldn't hit our settlement again. Now this place is my home."

"Oh," Laura murmured. "I'm sorry."

Mackenzie sighed and shrugged her shoulders, leaning over Laura a bit to better see her work in the light of the sun. She said nothing else on the matter, but seemed curious about her.

"How did you get here?" she asked.

"I was traveling."

"I assumed as much. That's what they've been saying."

"They?"

"The rest of us."

Laura had a pretty good idea about what they were saying about her. Aaron certainly provided that kind of evidence to her task. She tensed now and Mackenzie immediately scolded her for it.

"Hey, don't tense up like that," she said. "If you do, I could thread your wound wrong and one breath will tear our your stitches."

Laura made a face. "Sorry."

Mackenzie nodded somewhat and resumed her task. Laura winced and hissed every so often with discomfort. Mackenzie reached for a small pair of scissors and snipped some leftover thread from her work before applying a bandage onto the wound.

"Alright," she said, "You should be fine now."

Laura stretched delicately and stood up. Looking over her shoulder once, she stared at the bandage with a small smile.

"Thank you." she told her.

"I'm just amazed you came out of there with just that kind of wound," Mackenzie told her, raising her eyebrows, "We all took bets that you'd be food in a few minutes."

"I had help..."

"From who?"

Laura didn't want to mention Cito, so she just smiled sadly and shrugged her shoulders. "Just a good guy who went on his way."

Mackenzie wanted to ask more about it, but Laura was already walking away.

O

Someone was screaming.

Laura was about to make her way to Cappy Cafe when she heard the scream. Curious, she made her way to the main gates and found Dixie and a few Disciples gathered around something. Unable to resist the need to look, she walked up to the scene and found a man in a dirty suit and hat kneeling there, face bloodied and eyes wide in fright.

"Aww, what's wrong?" Dixie purred, at the frightened, trembling man, "I ain't good enough for your attentions? You seemed awfully quick to wave that little gun at Bart." She gestured to a Disciple nearby in question.

"L-Look!" the man whimpered, "You want caps? I-I can give you caps!"

Laura's eyes widened when she recognized the voice. She was frozen as the Disciples took turns harassing him and dragging their knives slowly across his body; it wasn't uncommon for them to toy with their victims before killing them.

Shank was nearby and watched the sight with a mixture of boredom and amusement. "Where'd you find him?" he asked, looking at Dixie.

"Oh, you know," Dixie said, with a small chuckle, "Like the rest; a little rat poking around too close. Like the rest of them."

A Disciple noticed that Laura had been watching and turned his attention to her now. There was a grin in his voice.

"Hey, you wanna turn?" he sneered, gesturing to the man, "Trust me, nothing beats the rush of sticking a squealing pig."

The man looked up at Laura, noticing her standing there. His eyes also widened and she visibly tensed when he seemed to recognize her.

"Holdren!" he exclaimed.

At that, the Disciples had stopped their game of tormenting the man, now quite curious about the exchange; when it seemed that the man recognized Laura, they were now intrigued.

"Ooh, you know this pig?" another Disciple purred.

Laura struggled to find her voice. "N-No." she lied.

"Well, he seems to know you," Dixie purred, sauntering toward her. She twirled her knife in her hand and began to circle Laura like a predator. "Now, I'm sure you wouldn't be trying to sneak your way out of here without finishing our little deal, would you?"

Laura shook her head frantically. "No! No, I wouldn't!"

She swallowed thickly, shut her eyes and after a few moments, regarded the man with an interesting change in her voice; Shank caught it and he tilted his head curiously with a thin smile.

"His name's Eddie Starling." Laura explained, staring at the withered man, "He ratted out my mother to the mayor of Diamond City for harboring a Ghoul in her house and forced her into exile. He would get paid in caps for snitching out Ghouls or synths in hiding."

A few looks between each raider there were exchanged and Dixie gave a delighted squeal. "Well, well, well," she said, studying Laura behind that banded mask. "So this is the man responsible? I'd heard a different story."

Laura shook her head stiffly. She felt sick. "I don't like thinking about it..."

"I see..." Dixie made a thoughtful sound. Strangely enough, she didn't say anything else.

Another Disciple scoffed and looked down at Eddie. "I ain't exactly looking at God's gift here." he muttered, "I expected him to be...well...not a chicken shit."

Eddie frantically crawled on his hands and knees toward Laura and she made an uneasy sound when he grasped her feet and began to beg with her.

"Laura, please!" he whimpered, "Your father! He wouldn't want this to happen! We were friends! He would have shown me mercy!"

He screeched as two Disciples roughly dragged him back from her. Laura looked down at a small pile of caps that littered the place around them; he'd no doubt tried to bribe the Disciples with such caps. She bent down and retrieved a few.

"Shouldn't have sniffed too close to us," the Disciple at his left hissed, "If she didn't kill you, we sure as hell would love to!"

"No!" Laura said.

They stared at her now and Shank scoffed with dismay, shaking his head. Dixie tilted hers and a few Disciples were no doubt rolling their eyes behind their masks. The comment clearly didn't surprise them in the least.

"Well, fortunately it ain't up to you," one of them sneered.

"Now, hold on," Dixie said, with a grin in her voice; she raised her hand in front of him, "Maybe she wants a slice of him?"

Laura looked at her with shock and Eddie's features twisted in anguish, sure that his fate was sealed now. Dixie handed the knife to Laura by the handle and Laura stared down at it cautiously. She looked up at Dixie after a few moments and finally, took the handle.

A few delighted sounds from the Disciples.

"Looks like you're shit out of luck, fat man!" one of them told Eddie.

Dixie leaned in close to Laura's ear, whispering with pleasure. "It's your first time so...we'll be patient with you," she teased, "Remember, the first is always the messiest. Don't worry. We're experts. We'll show you the way."

Laura took the knife in both hands and slowly made her way toward Eddie. The man squirmed and twisted in the grips of the Disciples and he kicked his legs out. He looked like a trapped animal to Laura; the man who had once been so bold with his bigotry and bribery was nothing like the man she saw now.

"No...NO!" he shouted.

Laura's heart thudded wildly in her chest and she began to pant as she made her way closer and closer to him. Her hands began to shake and she dropped the knife to the ground. There were a few disappointed groans when she shook her head.

"I can't." she mumbled.

Eddie laughed with relief and was amazed to find the Disciples releasing him. He crawled toward her and started to take her hand, but Laura recoiled from him with a mixture of disgust and shame.

"Get off!" she spat, her abrupt aggressive tone surprising the others there.

Eddie stared at her in mute disbelief and Laura was still shaking, still watching him with wide eyes. She shook her head and pursed her lips, seemingly mulling it over in her head how she'd speak next. She shut her eyes tightly, forcing down a hot lump in her throat before staring down at him.

"I... I'd often thought about all the things I'd say to you," she said, softly, "I used to wonder what kind of guy just sells people out for money, but... I'm not going to do it. It won't change anything."

A few bored groans from those around her. Laura looked at them impassively and she suddenly seemed tired. Dixie watched her with a curious murmur and Laura glanced down at the knife she'd dropped. She bent down, picked it up and handed it back to her.

"I only wanted to say that to you," she said, glaring down at Eddie. "After that...Dixie and the Disciples can have you."

Eddie withered with a frightened whimper and Laura turned, walking away. She heard his screams and blinked rapidly to fight back the tears as she passed a few enslaved traders. They met her eyes and shook their heads slowly, as if unable to fathom what she had allowed to happen.

O

Mags took some time to study the wounds Laura had accumulated from her trip through Safari Adventure. She murmured thoughtfully before looking down at Laura, who had remained silent the entire half hour she'd been sitting there.

"You didn't tell me the whole story," she said.

Laura sighed quietly. "I didn't think you'd care."

The harshness in her words was new and something that surprised Mags; only for a second, however, as the look crossed her face and went as fast as it came. William was nearby and cast his glare onto Laura now when he heard the tone in the woman's voice.

"Hey!" he warned, "You don't get to talk to Mags like that."

"It's alright, William." Mags assured him, with a small look in his direction. She smiled down at Laura and leaned close to her ear. "Regardless, we have you to thank for clearing out that park. I must admit, none of us expected you back alive. But again, you didn't disappoint. Well done."

Laura glanced down, surprised to see a small purse of caps deposited into her lap. She picked it up and looked at Mags.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"Good work is rewarded and we do take good care of our own," Mags reminded her, as if she'd been so silly to even ask. She gave Laura's shoulder a little caress. "Don't spend them all in one place."

Laura shivered at the touch and closed her eyes, ashamed to admit that the touch had her leaning into it. Whether or not Mags noticed, she didn't voice it whatsoever. Her mind drifted to what had happened with Eddie and the Disciples.

"Can I ask you for something?" she asked, looking up at Mags again.

It seemed the other woman found the notion amusing more than presumptuous. She released her touch on Laura and studied her with a smile. "Well, you can ask," she replied.

"I want something...to help," Laura told her, "Just...to help me forget about today."

Mags raised her eyebrows with surprise for a moment. She didn't seem to expect that. "You're asking me for chems, I assume?"

Laura nodded.

"Funny. You never struck me as a chem-addict."

"I'm not. I just..." Laura sucked her teeth sharply and groaned somewhat before resuming. "I just need something for tonight."

Mags didn't seem interested in arguing with her any further. "Well, Maddox in the market should be of use for that particular need." she told her. "I'll allow it for tonight. After all, you've been working hard and we all need a little escape."

Laura smiled weakly and nodded.

Mags bid her away with a little wave. "Go on."

Laura nodded again in response, rose and left the Parlor. She made her way to the market and was a little surprised to find the man in question delighted to see her; still in rags, wearing a shock collar and smiling brightly.

"Hey, hey!" Maddox greeted, "I'm glad you stopped by!"

Laura made a face. "I need something to help calm me down and...Mags told me to go to you."

Maddox nodded his head, still grinning. "I'm your guy! See, I'm the keeper of the sweet stuff around here." he told her, gesturing to his counter and brewing station, "I've got chems for all your needs!"

"So...how are these made?" Laura still seemed hesitant. "I mean, sorry to ask I've never..." She managed a sheepish, uncomfortable laugh. "I've never done chems before."

Maddox raised his eyebrows. "Never?"

"Never."

Maddox smiled at her reassuringly. "I've got years of practice perfecting my recipes," he said; he leaned in close and whispered to her, "I'd tell you more, but I can't go givin' up trade secrets. Got to keep that competitive advantage, you know what I mean?"

Laura seemed doubtful. "So you've tested these, uh, secret recipes? They're safe?"

"Sure!" Maddox said, waving her doubts off. "Sure." Then, he added quietly under his breath. "Most of the time."

Laura blinked at him in disbelief.

Maddox quickly corrected himself. "But hey, there's more important things in life than being safe, right? What I can guarantee is an intense experience."

He reached under his counter and handed her a single inhaler of Jet. Laura stared down at it and she frowned up at him.

"How much?" she asked.

"For first timers? Free." Maddox told her, with a smile.

Laura still seemed doubtful, but didn't argue further. She studied the chem in her hands and turned it around.

"So, how do I...?" she asked.

"Allow me." Maddox said, rounding the corner of his counter top and placing the mouthpiece of the Jet to her lips. "Now, you push down as you breath in and hold it. Let it get into your mind and put those sweet, sweet colors in your head."

Laura took an inhale as instructed and Maddox watched her eyes bug out; she started to cough, but he shook his head and pinched his own lips.

"Hold it..." he instructed. "Hold it..."

Laura winced and blinked, holding in the drug for as long as she could before exhaling slowly. She looked around and suddenly, the world around her began to slow as she succumbed to the chem almost immediately; Maddox spoke to her, but all she heard was a distorted, deep voice coming from him.

Laura swayed and she blinked again. The colors around her became more saturated and lights brightened. She grinned and giggled a little, staggering forward. A few raiders looked at her and said something, but it was all in a drowned out blur.

Wandering from the market, Laura grinned and laughed at the colors and sounds distorted around her. She forgot her woes for a while, riding the high for the very first time. She made her way to Cappy Cafe, waving at a few passing raiders.

Lauren was outside when she saw Laura. Immediately, she made her way to her side as soon as the younger woman collapsed to the ground.

"Laura!" she exclaimed, cupping her chin and lifting her head, "Look at me are you..."

She pushed back one of Laura's eyelids, noticing the dilated pupils and the way she grinned. She made a shocked sound.

"Are you high right now?" she exclaimed.

Laura blinked once. Twice. "Um...maybe?"

Lauren rolled her eyes and helped the woman inside the cafe. She set her down on the mattress and brushed back some of her hair, which had stuck to the side of her mouth. Laura smiled at her and gave another giggle.

"You're blurry." she mumbled.

"Yes, yes, I know." Laura said, with a chuckle. "God, girl; this your first time tripping out?"

Laura's head rolled a little on her shoulders and she continued to grin. Lauren shook her head and guided her to lay down.

"Get some sleep, kiddo." the older woman urged.

Lauren left her alone and walked outside, only to find Mags standing there, having waited for her. Lauren looked surprised for a few moments before she snorted, speaking over Mags just as the Operator leader started to speak.

"You're putting that girl through the ringer," she snapped.

Mags raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

Lauren glared at her; she was a bold old woman, Mags always had to respect that from her. She was even one of the rare ones who didn't wear a collar.

"We aren't hosting a charity," Mags reminded her, "She has a job to finish."

Lauren nodded her head. "I get that. I really do." she argued, "But dammit, if you want your precious parks cleared out, then you have to give her a chance to rest for a bit, at least! She's lost more than her share of dignity and family, she deserves that much."

Mags considered her words, much to the older woman's surprise. Then again, Mags Black had always been more diplomatic than the rest of the raider bosses; she used her words more often than most and did tend to listen before acting.

"I will take your words into consideration," Mags said, with a thin smile.

She said nothing more, but gave the cafe a lingering glance as she departed.


	6. When it Rains, it Pours

~O~

 **When it Rains, it Pours**

"Caught one of the traders stealing food?"

"For real? What'd you do to 'em?"

"Turned 'em lose at the gate."

"You serious?"

"Then I got in some target practice!"

A cruel laugh. "Dumbass traders!"

Laura could make out the conversation between the two members of the Pack that early morning as she made her way down the street with Gage at her side. She rubbed her head with a small groan and he glanced down at her before chuckling.

"Here." he offered, handing her a container of pills.

Laura gave them a little shake. "What are these?" she asked.

"Chems, duh." Gage told her. "But these'll help with that pain. Maybe this'll teach you not to take any hits before work."

Laura opened the container and popped one of them into her mouth. She swallowed it, grimaced and smacked her lips. After a moment, she looked up at Gage again.

"So, what now?" she asked, already tired when she dreaded her next task.

"Now? Now, nothing," Gage replied, with a small shrug, "Take some time to spend resting up. Word is we been working you too hard and hell, with how good you've been runnin' lately, we wanna make sure it stays that way. Maybe pay Fritsch a visit. He runs Nuka-Cade."

Laura furrowed her brow. "Nuka-Cade?"

"Yep. Right there." Gage indicated the attraction nearby.

She made her way toward Nuka-Cade and stepped inside. The man in question, Fritsch was standing behind a counter, tinkering away at what looked like a circuit board. A snap of electricity shot up and he grunted; the sound made Laura jump from her spot and he looked up at her.

"Hey!" he greeted, with a smile, "Uh..." He straightened, snapped his fingers as he tried to remember her name. "It's Laura, right?"

"Yeah. It's me." Laura replied.

Fritsch set down his screwdriver and rounded the corner to properly meet her. Laura noticed the leather armor he wore beneath a motorcycle jacket and jeans. He had short, messy hair and a thin mustache on his face.

"So you're the one, right?" he asked, smiling, "You've been cleaning house on all the parks."

Laura nodded, a little taken by his enthusiasm.

Fritsch grinned and threw his arms in the air. "Wow! How'd you do it? I've never seen one Wastelander able to pull it off!"

Laura shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it wasn't exactly easy." she replied.

"I bet," Fritsch said, still obviously imagining it. Then, he gestured around the arcade. "So, I'm betting everyone stands to make a lot more money with the expansion. Speaking of which, I'm hoping you're here to spend a little bit of your own at the Nuka-Cade."

Laura looked around and smiled a bit. Well, she couldn't lie; Nuka-Cade did seem like a bit of fun. "Sure, why not? This place looks like fun."

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Fritsch said, smiling with pride. "All of the amusements and games around you are working thanks to yours truly. It's taken me almost a year to get it this far. I'm the only one that can take them apart and put them back together again. If I go, then it's only a matter of time before they fall apart."

"I'm amazed a lot of these things still work, actually."

"Yep." Then, Fritsch stared at her curiously. "Gage tells me you're a tinkerer yourself. Work on any machines like this before?"

"A little." Laura replied, with a small shrug. "My father had a shop in Diamond City. I'd help him around when he needed it."

The radio was switched on at the counter nearby and Laura could heard RedEye talking through it. He seemed delighted about her recent work at Safari Adventure.

 _"...Hey, this is your man Redeye, running Raider Radio. Don't like the name? I don't give a shit! Thanks to the hard work of our kick-ass trader girl, I am happy to report that the Safari zone is no longer a death trap! All those crazy-ass mutated animals have been taken care of!"_

She chuckled a little. "He's really making me out to be more than I am."

"Nah, you don't give yourself enough credit." Fritsch said, with a pat on her shoulder. "Like Gage said; we've been sittin' on our asses for a while now. It's been smooth since you've been working. Anyway, you wanna get started on these sweet games?"

Laura laughed. "Sure." Then, she looked concerned. "Wait, you don't have tokens, do you?"

"Of course I do, but that isn't the only way you can get them," he assured her, "If you look around the parks hard enough, I'm betting you'll find a few here and there." He reached into his pocket and handed her a single token. "I'll tell you what. Just to officially welcome you to Nuka-World, here's a token to get you started."

"Thanks." Laura said, delighted.

Most of that morning, she spent time at the games; she earned a few more tokens as Fritsch seemed to enjoy the company more than anything else. Laura could understand that much at least, he hadn't been the most unpleasant raider to talk to and while she played Bandit Roundup, he shared a little of his story with her.

"Well, I've been running this place for years now," Fritsch told her, "And to be honest, until Colter rolled in with his gangs, it was getting boring. They were going to kick me out of the Nuka-Cade, but then I showed them that I possessed... skills that would be useful to them."

Laura took a shot at a cutout rabbit. "Seems you've done well, considering."

"Yeah, guess so." Fritsch continued, "Fixing these machines really isn't that different than tinkering with a gun or some armor. Just make the right connections and it all works. After a while, Colter starting considering me almost a part of the gangs. That's probably why he never slapped a collar around my neck. Hopefully, you'll have the same luck."

Laura lowered the gun slightly in her hands, troubled by his words. Fritsch noticed how distracted she was and his eyes widened; he gestured to the passing cutouts on the game.

"Hurry! You're missing 'em!" he exclaimed.

Laura snapped out of it. "Oh! Oh shit, yeah!"

She took a few more shots, but missed several of them. The alarm sounded and the game stopped. Fritsch groaned somewhat.

"Aww, better luck next time!" he told her.

Then, another alarm sounded throughout the park and Laura looked up, knowing exactly what it meant. Fritsch grinned now and looked at her.

"Well, you know that noise, yeah?" he said, "That means someone's in the Gauntlet. Looks like we're gonna watch Colter stomp another one. You comin'?"

Laura hesitated.

Fritsch stared at her for a moment, then smiled. "Hey, come on," he encouraged, "If you hurry, you might end up with front row seats!"

Laura watched as he quickly darted from the arcade and hesitantly followed behind him. Along the way, she made out RedEye announcing the fight in the arena over the speakers posted on metal spikes nearby. Laura paused and listened.

 _"Remember, longest survival time against Colter still stands at one minute, thirty-seven seconds! Get over to Cola-Cars, and watch Colter crush our latest vic! Unless you don't like fun... and who here in Nuka-World doesn't like fun!"_

She looked up, spotting Mason and froze where she stood. He didn't seem to notice her at first; he was busy talking with a few of his Pack members, annoyed and rolling his eyes. Laura suddenly felt sick, unable to move from her spot.

Memories of the nights spent with him came flashing back in her head; unwanted advances, touches and senseless fucking...

She snapped out of her haze when she felt hands on her shoulders. Nearly jumping out of her skin with a yelp, Laura whirled; she was surprised to find Mags standing there with her hands on her shoulders, ushering her toward the Cola-Cars building.

"Come. You can sit beside me," she said, "Don't worry. There's always a place for William and I."

Laura was distracted from the sight of Mason as Mags continued walking with her. For some reason, it gave her a sense of calm that she didn't think she'd find among the raiders. A few stared at them, but no one dared say anything.

 _"The stands are filling up fast. Better hurry 'cause for losers, it's standing room only!"_ RedEye's voice filled the arena. _"The slaughter is starting soon, so if you're going to watch it, now's the time."_

Laura found herself led toward the Operator's side of the caged levels and put between Mags and William. Lizzie was sitting at William's side and they watched the arena.

"Yet another pointless victory..." Mags said, with disdain.

Laura glanced at her briefly before turning her attention to the arena. Colter was stepping out in his armor once more; electricifed, massive and frightening, he was sure not to lose again. She only pitied the poor fool who had made it through the Gauntlet just to die.

"Disciples! Are you ready for blood?" Colter shouted, to the crowds.

"Death... Death... Death..." the Disciples chanted.

Colter turned to the Pack. "And the Pack! Are you ready for things to get wild?"

The Pack side of the arena cheered wildly, howled and literally shook the cages.

"Operators! Are you ready to see me notch another kill?" Colter had turned his focus to them now.

There was a collection of halfhearted applause. Mags slowly clapped with a sort of regal boredom on her face and William did the same. Lizzie leaned across him to Laura and smiled thinly.

"What would you say to a gamble?" she asked.

"A gamble? Of what?" Laura queried.

"How long I can stay awake." Lizzie said, dryly.

Laura raised an eyebrow and laughed, shaking her head. She glanced at the arena and watched as Colter turned his focus to the door where the unfortunate Wastelander would come through.

"And you... are you ready to die?" he snarled.

The Wastelander seemed unable to comprehend the severity of what was happening. He didn't have much time to think further when Colter charged for him like a rampaging metal bull. She had to look away at the sounds of screams from the poor victim; sounds of crushed bone filled the air from Colter's Power Armor, cruel laughter from the Overboss.

It was over before it had begun.

O

It had begun to rain.

It hadn't rained in Nuka World for several long months. A few of the raiders ran through the rain, laughing with glee - most of them had been members of the Pack. They barked and howled with delight while rushing through puddles.

Laura had to admit that it was a bit strange seeing the raiders this carefree.

"Not much of a surprise, is it?" Nisha was approaching and stood beside her.

Laura looked at the Disciple leader now. "What?"

"Animals in their natural habitat." Nisha remarked, making a sound that was both amused and disgusted, "You'd only find the Pack playing in puddles like pigs in mud."

Laura managed a small smile.

Nisha remained silent before looking at her now. "Dixie told me about what happened with our little prize." she said. "I heard you didn't slit his throat."

Laura swallowed thickly. She didn't reply. She didn't want to think about it.

"You should have." Nisha continued, staring ahead. "The only way you survive anymore is by being more ruthless than the next guy."

"Is that how it was for you?" Laura felt herself asking. She couldn't help it.

Strangely enough, Nisha didn't chastize her for the presumption. Instead, she gave a small, humorless laugh. "I learned that lesson when I was old enough to pick up a blade. A raider named Sledge showed me the reality of it."

Laura didn't argue. In a small sense, she couldn't disagree with the Disciple leader.

"What happened to Sledge?" Laura asked.

Nisha chuckled. "He's dead. Wasn't as hard as I thought. After he took me in as a kid, raised me, trained me... I would have thought I'd at least hesitate." she told her, "But he was the one that 'accidentally' had my parents killed to begin with. And then he made the fatal mistake of leaving me behind. Bastard probably thought I was as good as dead, but after all the times I stood by him, seeing that coward tuck tail and run erased any loyalty and respect I ever had for him."

Laura blinked, looking at her in surprise. "What did you do?"

Nisha's grin was wicked. "The best part was the look on his face when I came back. I still don't even know how I managed to escape, but with the amount of blood I had on me, I got a feeling it wasn't pretty for my enemies." she continued, "After that, I realized just how much of what he said was pure bullshit. I gave him at least a month to listen to me which feels merciful looking back. But it's done now."

Laura had no idea what to say. At least, for a moment she thought about Nisha's story. Maybe there was a point to it, but she didn't ask. She wasn't sure if she should have.

Nisha sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "You should have killed him."

Laura frowned. "I didn't want to. What good would it have done?"

Nisha let out a mocking laugh. "With that attitude, I'm amazed you survived as long as you have. As the Disciples, we follow the natural way of the world: kill or be killed, survival of the fittest, that kinda stuff. In times like these, it's the only thing that makes sense." She sighed now, shaking her head. "I watch these farmers, much like my own parents, struggle for some sense of civilization, only to be crushed by Super Mutants, radscorps, or, of course, Raiders. There's nothing friendly about this world, and the only way to beat it is to be better."

The wind had begun to pick up, blowing rubble and trash about. A few Operators scattered to avoid remnants of a Nuka World sign that had snapped off of its mount. Nisha raised her chin slightly before casting her gaze to the sky.

"Hm. It's beginning to pick up." she mused.

O

"Beginning to pick up" was an understatement.

Raiders and traders had to huddle back from the storm as it billowed through Nuka World. Colter was the only one comfortable in his tower, watching the wind howling with a smile on his face. Gage was seated by the counter, watching the storm gravely.

Well, this would probably set them back.

Laura helped a few of the traders into Cappy's Cafe and several of them went to her aid to ease the door shut; it took the strength of at least four of them from the strong roar of the wind. Lauren gathered a metal post in the corner, pushed a few skulls in cages off of it and made her way to the door. Several came to her aid to push it through the handles.

Laura turned to those inside the Cafe. A couple of raiders had been trapped inside with them; a Disciple and two Operators.

"Where did this fucking storm come from?" the Disciple snapped, shaking her arm of water.

"Hell if I know..." an Operator muttered.

Laura walked up to Keith, finding him kneeling on the floor and praying. She sat down beside him and set a hand on his shoulders.

"Are you okay, Keith?" she asked.

He jolted in mid-prayer; his wide eyes focused on her before finally relaxing. He managed a weak laugh and waved her off.

"Yeah, I'm okay." he said.

Laura tilted her head worriedly and he grinned. "Really, I'm fine! I - "

Suddenly, the windows shattered and everyone took cover to avoid the glass. An Operator ducked, but his throat was slashed from one of the shards. He crumbled to the floor, clutching at his neck and spasming with several pained chokes.

What shocked the traders came next.

Laura rushed to the Operator's side and closed a hand against his throat. "Shit!" she hissed, "Shit, okay, I got you!"

The Disciple and other Operator could only stare in muted disbelief as Laura hurried to grab a nearby set of tattered rags to wrap around his neck. She gingerly lifted his head as she wrapped and didn't notice the looks she was getting.

"Ugh..." the Operator groaned, hissing through blood-soaked teeth. "Fuck!"

Laura shook her head anxiously. "Hold up! I'll get something for you in the back!"

He sputtered a weak laugh. "Goddamn it, just bring me some Jet!"

"No, hold on..." Laura looked up at Lauren, "Hey! Get me some alcohol!" When Lauren didn't move, she scowled now. "COME ON!"

It startled everyone at how strong her voice suddenly was. Lauren didn't quite argue, but it took her a moment before she made her way behind the counter for a bottle of vodka. It wasn't much, but at least it was something.

Laura looked down at the Operator. "It's not deep. So you'll be fine." she said.

Another weak laugh from him. "Ugh...the others won't let me hear the end of this one."

Laura managed a weak chuckle. "I won't tell if you won't." she told him, trying to laugh in an effort to diffuse her panic.

All the while the wind roared outside.

O

The following morning, Laura had awoken after falling asleep near the wounded Operator. She groaned and stretched, looking around as traders had already started cleaning up the Cafe. She looked down at the Operator, who was still holding his neck.

"Hey..." Laura said, approaching him. "How are you doing?"

"I feel like Brahmin shit, but I'm alive," he muttered. "Thanks."

Laura smiled. "I'll find Mackenzie and see what she can do. Just stay here."

He made a face and sputtered a laugh, rolling his eyes.

Laura made her way outside and found traders and raiders alike cleaning up the mess left behind from the storm; Nisha was gesturing to two of the traders to collect a few metal pieces to their totems that had been dislodged from their posts.

But where was Colter during all of this work? What was he doing?

Laura frowned and made her way toward Gage, who was in the middle of talking with Mason. She froze when she saw the Pack leader, but forced as much strength as she could and raised her chin. Looking at Gage, she could stiff feel Mason watching her.

"Where's Colter?" she asked.

Gage sighed, rolling his eyes. "He went out to the Market. I told him there won't be any new supplies yet after the storm. But he don't fucking listen."

Laura nodded. "Is there anything you need me to do?"

"Just help out with what you can." Gage suggested. "In the meantime, I need to get Colter's ass out of the Market so he can do damage control. It's his fucking job, after all."

Laura walked away and Mason watched her go in disbelief. "She didn't even look at me. What's with that shit?"

Gage groaned, rolled his eyes and walked away as well. Laura entered the Parlor and found Mags and William talking with a few Operators regarding the damages done to their side of the park. Mags seemed pleased, so it must not have been bad.

"Ah, Laura!" Mags looked up when she saw the woman. "I received word that you took care of Dan." She seemed both surprised and impressed. "You continue to surprise me."

"What was I supposed to do? Let him die?" Laura shrugged it off.

"Well...it's not a matter of what you were supposed to do. It's what we expected you to do."

Laura didn't reply. She wasn't even sure why she walked into the Parlor.

Mags seemed to study her with a curious look on her face, but didn't push the matter any further. Instead, she turned her focus to another Operator. They were talking and Laura looked at Lizzie.

"Anything I can do?" she asked.

"Yes, actually." Lizzie said, nodding. "You may help collect any broken samples in the kitchen."

"Your kitchen was ruined?"

"Yes. It seems that whoever lived here prior to our arrival saw little need in properly barricading the windows." Lizzie's calm voice took on an annoyed edge.

Laura worked to help her collect the broken glass of her jars that contained odd fluids. Some of them smelled absolutely awful. When she wrinkled her nose, Lizzie caught the look and chuckled.

"Yes, that one was a urine sample." she said.

Laura grimaced and tossed the glass back to the floor.

O

Mags was explaining the plan for tomorrow night.

Laura sat beside her at the large table while she went over a map of the Bottling Plant. The other Operators had been sent out upon Mags' orders. It left Laura alone with her once more and she was painfully aware of how...odd she felt all of a sudden. She had barely been listening to Mags talking until the Operator leader spoke.

"Laura." she said, "Are you listening?"

Laura blinked once, then looked at her apologetically. "Sorry."

Mags raised her eyebrows, studying her curiously. "You're thinking about what happened with Dan."

"How do you know?"

"Well, I can imagine that kind of choice wasn't easy to make, especially for someone essentially an expendable slave under our thumb." Mags replied.

Laura lowered her eyes and the notion seemed to bother her more now that she thought of it. Mags continued to watch her with an unreadable expression. Then, she exhaled quietly, pushed the maps aside and smiled.

"When you arrive at the Bottling Plant, Dan has offered to send some of his friends with you. He's eager to repay his debts." she explained, "The other gangs want in as well. Maybe you can...encourage them to get along if it suits you."

Laura looked worried. "Wait, the other gangs are coming with me?"

"The Bottling Plant is a big score. One none of us want left on the sidelines from. Don't worry. Gage will be coming with you. He'll be there as a sort of...emotional support, if that comforts you."

"It really doesn't." Laura quipped. "Maybe paint the target on my back before I go."

Mags looked at her and raised an eyebrow, partially amused. A smile lit her lips and she chuckled. Laura glanced at her now, surprised by the sound. She laughed a little now when she thought about what she'd said. It was kind of funny.

But then, she found herself frozen, staring at Mags with a blank expression on her face. The raider stared back, perhaps curious by the look. Laura was now aware of the heated flush on her cheeks and before she knew it, she had already leaned in close to kiss Mags on the lips.

The raider leader hadn't moved away, nor chastised her for the assumption either. When Laura realized what she'd done, her eyes snapped open and she scooted away, hands in the air.

"Oh God, I'm sorry!" she gasped.

Mags' features stretched out into a broad smile and she chuckled now, shaking her head. She didn't seem angry for the gesture whatsoever and Laura decided that was much worse. She turned and walked out of the Parlor quickly, ignoring Mags calling her name.

She rushed passed rows of raiders and entered Cappy's Cafe. Lauren was just about to offer her a Nuka Cola, even as she passed her. She made her way into one of the bathrooms and shut the door behind her. Lauren approached the door and knocked on it.

"Hey, you okay, kiddo?" she asked.

Laura was sitting on the broken toilet, groaning and fisting her hands in her hair. She swayed back and forth and grumbled a stream of obscenities.

"Shit, shit, shit..." she hissed.

Keith walked up to the door and looked at Lauren curiously. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"I don't know. She won't tell me." Lauren replied, with a concerned frown. She knocked on the door and sighed. "Laura, can I come in? Do you need to talk?"

A moment of silence before Laura sighed. "Yeah. Please?"

Lauren looked at Keith and ushered him away before she opened the door and stepped inside. Laura looked up at her with a sick expression.

"I have to get Shank to send for more vodka." Lauren told her, "I only came by to give you a Nuka Cola."

She held up the bottle in offering, but Laura didn't take it and the older woman set it down on the nearby sink instead.

"I kissed Mags." Laura finally said.

Lauren's eyebrows went up. "Well..." she murmured, taking a seat beside her, "It seems you have bigger issues than I do right now."

"I don't know why I did it!" Laura insisted, looking down at her anxiously, "It just...happened."

Lauren murmured thoughtfully. "Well, you two were alone. Maybe it was just in the moment. You're needy for some comfort in this mess. It's normal."

"You think so?"

"It's not up to me to decide that, Laura. Did you think it was more?"

"I don't know..."

Lauren sighed, shaking her head before patting Laura's shoulders. The younger woman groaned, shaking her head in her hands. She didn't know what to say or do. Her heart had already been racing when she left the Parlor and now she was afraid to face Mags the next day.

What had she been thinking?

Tomorrow was going to be interesting for sure.


	7. World of Refreshment

This chapter was inspired by the song "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins.

~O~

 **World of Refreshment**

The following morning, all the raider groups had collected with their volunteers for the trip to the Nuka-World Bottling Plant. The entire time, Gage was talking and Laura barely listened to him at all. She noticed Mags and William in the distance and the woman didn't even look in her direction at all before walking into the Parlor.

Then, the Operator she'd helped stepped into her field of vision - Dan.

"Hey," Dan said, smiling down at her.

Laura snapped out of her daze and looked up at him. "Oh." she said, "How's..." She gestured to the bandage around his neck.

He chuckled. "Mackenzie works wonders." he remarked. "But, uh, I'm here to do what needs to be done. Mags filled us in. We're supposed to follow you and Gage's lead."

Laura looked apprehensive. "Anything else?"

"Nope. That was it."

Laura frowned, thinking on what had happened last night. Mags didn't speak about it with anyone? She began to wonder why or what the raider leader thought about it. Then again, maybe it was best to forget about it. Mags seemed to.

"Alright!" Gage told the groups. "We're heading off to the Bottling Plant! The place is flooded with Gunners and god only knows what else. We ready?"

A few cheers and howls from the Pack members joining them. The Operators and Disciples were also quite eager to go.

"Let's go carve up some Gunners and their little friends!" a Disciple hissed.

The group made their way toward the Bottling Plant, and along the way, two Pack members were arguing; Laura knew them both. One was Needles and the other was Jet. They had both been seeing one another in the gang, but argued constantly about their Chems.

Needles wore a feathered mask and Jet was wearing a helmet with moose antlers. It was easy to tell them apart as Needles often times used blades on his knuckles and Jet had a scar across his face.

"...You always do this!" Needles snapped. "You take my Chems and have no fucking courtesy to even share!"

"Maybe I wouldn't take them if you'd just pay a little attention to me!"

Laura glanced over her shoulder at the sight before she looked at Gage. "Should I...?" she asked.

"What? Oh hell, you can try." Gage muttered, shaking his head, "Those two are always fighting about those damn Chems. We need to keep them level."

Laura turned, stopping the group. "Needles? Jet?"

The two raiders looked at her.

"What?" Needles snapped.

"The two of you argue a lot about your Chem issue," Laura said, "Jet?" She looked at the other raider. "Why do you take his Chems all the time?"

Jet scoffed, shrugging his shoulders. "It's about the only time he pays attention to me anymore." he muttered.

Laura looked at Needles. "Do you think Jet's doing this as a way to get your attention?"

"Well, if he is, it's fucking working!" Needles snapped, glaring at the other Pack member.

"I saw you! You were hitting it off with Shag!"

"I told you, we were talking about what to give you for your birthday! You peek all the fucking time! I had to have him hide your present this time!"

Laura looked at Jet after listening to their argument. "Do you feel like Needles isn't giving much in your relationship?" she asked him.

Jet stood there, shifting a little on his heels. He swung his rifle back over his shoulder and his eyes wandered before he nodded. Laura looked at Needles.

"Maybe Jet's taking your Chems because he misses you," Laura told the other raider.

Needles seemed to think about that. He glanced down at Jet skeptically before sighing and hanging his shoulders.

"Look. Sometimes I need my space after a raid," he told him, "The screaming, the yelling, the gunshots. It gives me a headache and I gotta unwind, you know?"

Jet smiled and nodded. "Sure. I can give you space."

A skeptical look from Needles.

"I can! Promise!"

A Disciple from the group groaned, shaking her head. "If we're done this sickening display of 'Puppy Love', I'd like to get going," she snapped, "We got Gunners to gut."

Gage gestured for Laura to follow alongside him and the group continued on. He raised his eyebrows, amused and looked down at her.

"I can't believe you got Needles and Jet to stop fighting," he remarked.

"My mother worked as a psychologist in Goodneighbor," Laura replied, "You know, back when people used to do stuff like that before the War. She knew how to talk to people and wanted to revive the old practice. I watched a few of her sessions. She thought I could be like her, I guess. But it was hard since most people never really noticed me."

"Hell, they missed out then."

Laura looked up at him, then chuckled. "I guess you're complimenting me?"

Gage chuckled now and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you've done more work as a trader than Colter's done his whole time here. Just sayin'. Don't get used to it, though. I ain't gonna hug ya' or anything."

Laura thought about that, distracted by the idea.

When they arrived at the Bottling Plant, they immediately took cover behind a broken wall, just as several Gunners were patrolling the area. Laura turned her attention to the raiders at her side.

"Okay..." she told them, hesitantly. "How do you guys want to...uh...go about this? They have turrets mounted nearby. And there's at least four guarding the doors."

"If there's only four, I can take them from here," Dan told her, gesturing to his rifle he had by his side.

Needles hissed, giggling. "Yeah! Let's turn 'em into dog food!"

Laura held up two hands to calm the gradually growing anxious group. "Wait! We need a plan!"

Gage scowled at them and added in agreement. "We can't go running in there like the last ones! Remember Todd and Ham?" he added, "The kid's right. We need a plan. Now hush up and listen to her."

Laura glanced at him weakly, then to the raiders in front of her. "Okay, first we should - "

A gunshot suddenly went off, narrowly missing her head. Everyone quickly ducked for cover and the anxious shouts of Gunners behind the wall filled the air. Bullets rained down from above and everyone shielded their heads to avoid being shot at.

"NOW do we fucking shoot?" an Operator shouted.

"Shoot! Definitely shoot!" Laura yelled, gesturing frantically over her head, "Shoot now!"

The raiders were forced to scatter to avoid the hail of bullet-fire above them. Laura took cover beside Gage while she noticed the others struggling to keep themselves shielded behind an overturned trailer. She winced and then paled when she heard the sound of turrets powering up.

"This situation needs to get unfucked, right now!" Gage shouted, over the roar of bullet-fire.

Laura nodded frantically. "I know!"

She looked back at the raiders taking cover, then noticed a suit of Power Armor sitting in a station nearby. Her eyebrows went up and Gage looked at her, knowing full well what she was planning. He shook his head rapidly.

"No, no, you're crazy!" he yelled, "You'll never make it!"

Laura winced, missing being grazed by a bullet. "Well! We can't sit here forever!"

Gage looked stunned, but grinned and nodded. "Alright."

Laura looked toward Dan and gestured to the Power Armor. "Dan! Give me cover!"

Dan didn't hesitate. While Laura made a mad dash for the Power Armor, he took shots at several Gunners who tried to gun her down. Laura ducked and yelped, narrowly missing being shot at before rushing behind the Power Armor.

The other raiders looked up, surprised to see her climbing inside it.

"What is that dumbass doing?" a Disciple snapped.

"Saving our asses, now go!" Dan yelled.

Laura studied the digital mapping of the information laid out in front of her. She winced, struggling to move forward inside the armor.

"Shit," she hissed, "How the hell do you move in this damn thing?"

A few bullets clipped her arms and legs and Laura grunted sharply from the impact. Well, she was going to have to learn quickly. She looked up to the raiders and seized a nearby car with one hand. With the armor, it wouldn't be hard to lift it up. She'd seen Colter lift things twice his size and he was huge enough on his own.

"Hey! Get behind me!" she yelled, to the hiding group. "I'll give you cover while you get close enough to take them out!"

The raiders didn't even question it; they rushed to take cover behind the armored woman as she picked up a car and advanced, receiving several shots of bullets in the process. The Gunners grew desperate and more began to join in the fight.

Laura advanced close enough so that it allowed the Disciples to rush in and slash the throats of anyone in their path. Needles cackled and howled while Jet kept close to him; they rained hellfire from their rifles onto the Gunners in their sight.

A Gunner Commander took aim from a nearby balcony with a missle launcher right for the group of Operators and Gage caught sight of it.

"Hey! Look out!" he shouted.

Laura looked up, saw the Gunner and she aacted fast - rushing in between them and managed to grab the missile into two hands. It inched her back several paces and toppled her over, just moments before dying out completely. A Disciple flung her knife right toward the balcony, where it embedded itself into the Gunner Commander's chest.

He folded to the floor with a wet groan before stilling.

Gage approached the toppled woman in Power Armor and knelt down, moments as she removed the helmet with a gasp. He giggled and shook his head, tapping hers with two knuckles.

"Your brains still in there?" he joked.

Laura blinked, breathless and smiling with a mixture of shock and delight. "That was the coolest thing I've ever done!"

Gage laughed. "Yeah, it was. Dumb as hell to catch a missile with your bare hands. But shit, cool as fuck to watch."

Laura rolled to her side and stood up. She huffed out a breath and looked up at the sight of the raiders taking out Gunners gradually. A few tried to run, but didn't make it very far. Gage watched the sight as well, impressed by it.

"Well, I ain't never seen all of them work together like that before," he remarked, "It's a nice change in pace, really."

Dan made his way up to Gage, taking a moment to catch his breath. "Alright. Most of them retreated back into the plant." he said, "Shouldn't be too hard picking 'em off." He looked up at Laura now with a laugh. "That was some trick. Didn't expect that out of you."

Laura smiled and shrugged, looking down at her armored hands. "Yeah. Never thought I could do something like that either."

Gage looked at Dan now and gave a small wave over his head. "Hey, bring those maniacs back here so we can talk."

Dan nodded, turned and whistled loudly.

It took a few moments before the raiders regrouped together. Laura looked at them; they were fired up, but seemed quite happy with their acquisition and success. She clasped her armored hands together and took a breath before speaking.

"Alright, so we have the plant...for the most part," she told them, "And you guys actually worked together to do it."

The raiders glanced at one another, skeptical at first by this compliment. An Operator looked at the Disciple who had thrown the knife and managed a smile. He scratched the back of his head.

"It was pretty sweet when you tossed that knife at that guy." he admitted.

"Yeah?" the Disciple said, with a chuckle. "It's all in the wrist...and position of the organs. You have to know where to aim. Like a game of darts."

A series of chuckles from most of them. Laura and Gage laughed a little too. It was a little weird being so comfortable among them, but Laura found that she didn't mind it. It was a nice change to being on edge all the time.

"Well, we should get inside," Laura suggested, "We'll see what we have to deal with before it's safe for you guys to move in."

O

 _"Welcome to the Nuka-Cola World of Refreshment, now featuring a river of Nuka-Cola Quantum! Nuka-Cola Quantum: Twice the calories, twice the carbohydrates, twice the caffeine, and twice the taste! And just look at that amazing, patented blue glow!"_

An Operator tapped her foot into the river of blue water. It looked like it had once been part of a boat ride before the War.

She snorted. "People actually drank this shit?" she muttered, shaking her foot.

Having removed the Power Armor, Laura took a moment to stretch her muscles a little. She made a face and flexed her arm before turning attention to Needles, who was kicking at a Mirelurk nest nearby. Jet was holding one of the eggs.

"Hey, I had an idea!" he said. "What if we try to bring one of them back? It could end up being a Queen! Imagine the Pack with a Mirelurk Queen!"

"Remember LAST time we brought back a Mirelurk?" Needles reminded him, with a skeptical look.

"Oh yeah..." Jet said, shaking his head. "Poor Johnny. Walked in a brave dog, walked out dog shit."

Gage was tinkering away at a computer, all the while the announcer system continued its speech about the ride. He didn't quite have the knack for it, but he figured it shouldn't have been too hard.

 _"Nuka-Cola began its journey in the year 2042 when our founder, John-Caleb Bradberton, was a budding chemist!"_

Gage chomped on a cigarette and continued working. "Nobody in this plant gives a flying fuck." he muttered, under his breath.

 _"He dreamt of a delicious soft drink that would provide energy, focus and 120% of the recommended daily value of sugar!"_

Laura walked up to him and tilted her head. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm trying to get that cage downstairs open and - Ah! Got it!" Gage smiled, pleased as the computer lit up, revealing rows of information. "Hey, not too bad for me, huh? Now we can get down into the manufacturing plant. There's a shitload of caps down there and more Gunners hiding out. Shouldn't be too hard to pick 'em off."

 _"It took almost two years to perfect the formula, but in late 2044, Mr. Bradberton was finally successful and Nuka-Cola was born!"_ the announcer continued, as they made their way into the manufacturing plant, _"It quickly surpassed other, lesser beverages to become America's number-one favorite soft drink."_

Gage pointed his gun at one of the speakers and shot it. The device fell from its mooring and onto the floor in a shower of sparks.

"Shut up." he muttered.

Laura looked around and noticed a few crates of Nuka Cola. She smiled, retrieved one and popped it open for a quick drink. A few of the others joined in once she did after watching her; they were just as thirsty as she was, not bothering to be annoyed by the fact that it was Nuka Cola. They'd only drank the stuff for so long.

"You know, I never actually had a Nuka Cola after a raid?" an Operator said.

Dan laughed. "When do you know anyone who gets you cola after a raid?"

Laura shared a giggle with the others. She was interested in making conversation with them for some reason. The mood seemed quite alright to do so. "So did Colter ever do anything like this with you guys?" she asked them.

"Nope." they all answered at once.

Gage looked back at them after a few moments of attempting to hack the terminal nearby. He sighed, hung his shoulders and frowned.

"Hey, let's not make this a social event, you guys," he said, "We have a job to finish."

Laura nodded, then turned to the others. "Well, let's go."

Gage made a face, gesturing to the terminal. "Shit's locked up tight. Those Gunners are trapped like sardines." he said, "I ain't got the head for numbers or passwords or whatever."

Laura shrugged. "Let me try."

Gage gestured dramatically with a sweep of two hands. "Be my guest."

Laura attempted it a few times, grunting with frustration before she sighed, backing away. "It's locked. The password's needed to get us in there."

"No!" Gage drawled, in an almost playfully mocking voice.

Laura raised an eyebrow at him. "Alright...So, how are we going to get in now?"

"Like this!" a Disciple hissed.

She stepped forward and unleashed a barrage of bullets that had Gage and Laura recoiling with their arms over their heads. Once the Disciple finished, she kicked the door open with one foot and turned to them, smirking.

"Well we could have done that!" Gage snapped.

"Then why didn't you?"

Gage rolled his eyes, looked down at Laura before he gestured to the door with one hand. The two were the first one through, but immediately took cover behind a counter when two turrets opened fire on them from the ceiling.

"Dammit!" Gage cursed. "Gettin' sick of these fucking turrets!"

Round after round of bullets rained down on them. The raiders who hadn't stepped through yet kept hidden behind a protective wall beside the doors. Dan glanced down at a bottle of Nuka Cola, grabbed it and tossed it into the room.

The turrets shot at it and he took that moment to shoot his gun at the two turrets; it obliterated both of them into nothing more than metal shards and smoke. Laura and Gage rose from their hiding spot and Laura gave Dan a smile.

"Thanks, Dan." she told him.

Dan smiled. "Don't mention it."

The group made their way into the second half of the building - an underground testing lab where the remaining Gunners were hiding. It didn't take long to dispatch the rest of them in a violent spray of bullet-fire and vicious stabbings from the Disciples.

The entire time, Laura had been going over some data on a terminal. Behind her, Gage was rubbing his one good eye.

"Damn flash grenade." he muttered, "Aw God, I think I just went blind in one eye..."

Laura looked up at him before she giggled.

The return back to Nuka-Town USA yielded a massive celebration at Cappy Cafe from the raiders. Laura was given quite the amount of praise from the gangs for her effort. Alcohol was passed around and stories were being told about the entire trip to the Bottling Plant.

"...You should have seen it! She got in that Power Armor and - I shit you NOT - caught a fucking missile with her hands!" Needles said, "That shit was fucking awesome!"

Laura laughed along with the raiders, finding a strange sense of camaraderie among them. It was an unusual change, but one that made the day much better than most days with them had been before. She felt herself welcoming it.

"Well, I didn't really plan to catch it," she admitted, "It just happened."

"Dude, it was fucking sweet!"

Gage had been sitting nearby, talking with a Disciple when he noticed how content and happy Laura seemed to be. He smiled, shook his head and approached her table. The other raiders departed at his wave and Laura looked at him.

"I never thought they'd be so happy to celebrate with me like this," she said.

"I'll tell ya' what it is," Gage told her, "You were willing to put your neck out on the line out there for them. Now they won't say it, but what you did out there...You were willing to bleed to get us ahead in this shitty world and it means something."

Laura furrowed her brow, thinking about that. She smiled now. "Thanks Gage."

"You're welcome." he replied. He gave her a little elbow and chuckled. "Just don't let it get to your head. Piss me off, and I'll still kick your ass from here to the Atlantic."

Another laugh from the woman.

"Hell, enough of this, let's celebrate!" Gage told her.

And celebrate they did.

All the while, Lauren watched from behind her counter top with Keith. He folded his arms across his chest at the sight of Laura dancing with Dan. She was laughing with delight the entire time. The man made a face and whispered to Lauren.

"She's been drinking the Nuka Cola, Lauren..." he said.

"Don't worry. The girl's not gonna forget." Lauren added.

Keith seemed to doubt it.

While the celebration went on outside, Colter watched from Fizztop. His features were hard as stone as he thought about what had been happening lately and the respect Laura seemed to be getting from the other gangs.

O

That night, Laura was ready to rest up at Cappy Cafe, but helped Lauren and Keith clean up a bit. She pushed a broom, sweeping up bottles while Keith dumped them into a can. They had both been quiet the entire time and Laura was getting concerned by the odd silence between them. She looked from Keith to Lauren.

"Hey, you guys okay?" she asked.

Keith shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. Just a long day."

Laura nodded in agreement and managed a smile now. "It sure was." she replied, "I never thought I'd been able to do the stuff I did today. But wow, it was amazing."

Keith made a face. "I'm sure."

Lauren sensed his tone and waved him away. "Keith, why don't you go into the back for a second?" she suggested. "Let me talk to her alone."

Keith nodded his head and walked to the back of the cafe. Lauren watched him shut the door, then approach Laura with a frown.

"Don't worry about him, kiddo," she assured her, "He's...got a lot on his mind right now."

Lauren seemed contemplative and the younger woman sensed that there was more to their behavior. She furrowed her brow and stopped sweeping, leaning against the broom.

"You seem like you do too." she said.

"Well...we're all worried."

"Worried?"

"About you."

Laura looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"We think you may have forgotten what your plan was," Lauren admitted, "Seems like from the sidelines, you're having a bit of fun with them. Too much fun?"

Laura scoffed and shook her head. "I'm trying to make the best of it."

"Make the best of it. Right..." Lauren still didn't seem convinced. "You sure as hell seem different these days. I've noticed it and I'm sure the others at the Market have too. And after you went and kissed Mags - "

"Shhh!" Laura hissed, covering her mouth with one hand immediately. Her face was red and her eyes were wide. "I don't want anyone else to know about that!"

Lauren pulled away from her and grimaced. "Sorry. Just thought you'd want to hear about it."

Laura exhaled slowly. "I don't know, Lauren. I don't know what I'm doing."

"Makes sense. That kind of life is addicting. I'll give you that much. Hell, if I wasn't as old as I am now, I would have joined myself."

Laura looked concerned now. She hadn't been thinking much on it lately. In reality, she'd had fun out there at the Bottling Plant. She'd never felt as on top of the world as when she'd been in that Power Armor, carrying that car and shielding the raiders from the Gunners.

"Oh God..." she mumbled, running a hand over her face.

Lauren patted her shoulder. "Come on. Let's finish this in the morning and get to bed." she said. "Whatever you choose, make sure it's the best choice for you."

O

The following morning, Laura was sent back to the Bottling Plant to help clean up the mess left by the Gunners. She had a lot on her mind that day, including what Lauren had been talking about at the Cafe. She didn't know just how in deep she'd gotten in such a short time.

Needles suddenly poked his face into view, waving a hand in front of her. "Yoo-hoo, you still in there?" he teased. "Hit the Jet too hard again?"

Laura blinked and snapped out of her reverie. She laughed weakly, shaking her head. "No, just got a lot on my mind."

"Yeah?" Needles said. "Well, here..."

She looked down when he placed another Chem into her hand: an injectable drug known as Psycho. Laura had heard about the drug and what it did to people who took it. It was designed at the orders of General Chase specifically for military use. It was known to increase damage resistance, and had dampening effects on higher brain functions.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"Just a little thank you present for what you did for Jet and me," Needles told her, "Sometimes you just gotta cut loose and bring out the animal in you. Feel me?"

He snapped his fingers, howled and rushed off to do his work. Laura glanced down at the Psycho and pocketed into her side bag. She suddenly needed air to breathe and made her way out of the plant. Nisha had been nearby and noticed her depart. A thin smile lit her lips.

Laura wandered out beyond the stone wall and leaned against it with a heavy sigh. She didn't know what to do. What was she becoming? Was she really getting in too deep with the raiders?

She opened her eyes and noticed two men approaching. Frowning, Laura shielded her eyes from the sun and noticed that they seemed quite familiar. Her eyes widened when the men in body armor spotted her. They whispered to each other, just as she turned to go.

"Laura? Laura Holdren? Is that you?"

Fred and Marcus. They were two men who knew her father and worked as Mercenaries for him when he needed to find special parts for his shop. Sometimes they even hunted down people who robbed him for a good price. Fred was shorter, wearing a military helmet; he had scars all across his face and rough stubble. Marcus was tall, skinny and donning his favorite leather trench-coat with welded armor on his shoulders.

Laura withered at the sight of them and backed up against the wall. They studied her with a mixture of dismay and shock.

"What in the holy hell?" Marcus exclaimed, "Laura, what is this? Are you a raider now?"

Laura shrank in their presence as they backed her flat against the wall. Fred scoffed and glanced at Marcus once.

"I'm-I'm not..." she mumbled.

"Look, she's wearing their armor!" Fred said, to his friend, "The damn girl's one of them now!"

Marcus made a face and looked at Laura with disgust. "What do we tell your father? He sent us to come find you, Laura! When he hears that you're a raider now..."

"I'm not..." Laura tried.

As always, people spoke over her. Never let her talk. Even now, when she stood there trying to assure them, all they did was insist what they thought they knew.

"Are you a raider now, Laura?" Fred demanded, "We need to know! You need to tell us right now!"

Laura clenched her teeth, fisted her hands against her eyes and shouted.

"I AM NOT A RAIDER!" she shrieked, at the top of her lungs.

The two men looked stunned by the volume of her shout and Laura shoved them viciously from her.

"Listen to me!" she spat, glowering at them with a stare full of purpose, "You WILL listen to me now! I am not and never will be one of them, you stupid pieces of shit! Now you go home and leave me alone!"

Fred and Marcus backed away in disbelief. Behind them they failed to see Nisha now standing there.

"Hey there, boys," she said, maliciously.

They turned, mere seconds before Nisha's knife was out; she sliced their throats with methodical precision. Laura watched with shock as the two men collapsed to the ground, choking to death on their own blood. Nisha watched them with a shake of her head. She looked up at a horrified Laura and smiled, wiping her knife on Marcus' coat.

"It's just like I told you, Laura; we follow the natural way of the world: kill or be killed, survival of the fittest. In times like these, it's the only thing that makes sense," she said, approaching the woman, "If you ignore that, you'll end up just like them; throat slit, spilling blood all over the dirt."

Laura stared at her, still shaken by what had happened.

"Now, let's get back inside," Nisha said, "We have more work to do inside the Bottling Plant and I'm not looking to have the day marred by two fuckups. Don't be a third one."

The woman nodded numbly and followed Nisha back into the plant. She gave one last lingering look back at Fred and Marcus.

The frightening part about it?

She wasn't affected.

What if they were right about her?


	8. Eyes on the Prize

This chapter was inspired by the song "Love on the Brain" by Rihanna.

 _Porn warning._

~O~

 **Eyes on the Prize**

Laura still hadn't heard from Mags the following morning.

She stood in front of the bathroom mirror at Cappy Cafe, sighing once. "Why am I even thinking about this?" she muttered to herself, "It was a mistake. I didn't mean to do it." She smiled, satisfied with her outer thoughts. "Yeah, I was just IN the moment, that's all. Shit happens, right?"

"...Why is it sitting like that?"

"You gotta balance it. It looks like shit."

"It's a fucking pair of skulls!"

Laura walked out of the bathroom and found a Disciple and an Operator arguing over a cage filled with human skulls. The Operator had tried to take it down, but the Disciple just continued putting it right back up.

"This is OUR side of the Cafe!" she hissed, "And I say it fucking stays like this!"

The Operator glared at her. "If you're gonna hang the damn things, at least have some symmatry!"

He swatted the cage on its hangar and the skulls rattled around before shattering into several pieces. The Disciple raised two hands in front of it.

"Wait! Look at it!" she exclaimed, delighted. "THAT is the art I was talking about! You've made art, Operator!"

The Operator rolled his eyes with disgust. "Whatever, you freak..."

Laura shook her head at the sight and walked out of the Cafe, only to be met by Dan. "Mags wants to see you," he told her.

Laura paled somewhat. "Did she say why?"

"No." Dan said, shaking his head.

Laura made a face, but reluctantly followed him to the Parlor. Mags was sitting a the great table, reading what looked like a copy of Publick Occurrences. She was surprised to see the newspaper in her hands, but didn't speak on it. Looking around, she noticed there weren't any other Operators around. NOW it felt far too awkward for her.

"Um..." Laura began, tapping her fingertips together. She spoke hesitantly. "Mags, um...about the other night..."

Mags spoke before she could finish. "Do you know why I call for this pitiful hand of drivel?" she asked. She held up the paper to Laura. "This newspaper I mean."

Laura blinked, uncertain of how to answer. She hesitated for a few moments more before shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know, Mags."

"Perhaps I take some solace in the familiarity of it; the reminder of the simple and mundane," Mags replied, with a shrug, "But I digress." She rose and approached Laura - well, more like sauntered toward her - smiling that dangerous smile. "Yes, I did call you here for another reason."

Laura's eyes widened when Mags raised two hands to cup her cheeks. She stared at them warily, wondering if maybe Mags would probably snap her neck if she felt like it. They met gazes and the raider leader chuckled softly, studying her like a curious specimen.

"Hm, I can see Mason's allure with you," she remarked.

Laura blinked and managed a weak smile in response. She gave a quiet chuckle and seemed shy in the wake of Mags' touch. But the raider leader didn't pull away. Instead, she moved closer and tilted her head for a kiss.

Laura's eyes widened when their lips connected, but she didn't shy away. This was even better than the last kiss she shared with her; soft, surprisingly gentle and warm. She didn't know if she should touch her back or if Mags would allow it.

Fortunately, she didn't have to think on it much as one of Mags' hands slipped to her waist, pulling her closer against her. The entire time they kissed, Laura reminisced about the time she'd shared a kiss with Lucy, a girl she'd known at Diamond City.

Never had she felt such a stirring in her chest from that as she did now; an ache from a place she didn't recognize, a warmth and comfort that she never thought possible with a raider. Taking a chance, she placed one hand on Mags' shoulder.

 _What am I doing?_ she wondered, with an internal groan.

Mags finally pulled away, watching Laura with a new look. It was like watching a storm behind those half-lidded eyes. She smiled a little, tilting her head as she studied the woman. A thumb rubbed Laura's bottom lip and Mags chuckled.

"Hah. You are adorable." she remarked.

Laura furrowed her brow. "You're not angry?"

"No. I admit I was a bit taken at first," Mags said, "After all, given the nature of your decision, choosing me would mean choosing raider life."

Laura thought about that and she suddenly looked doubtful. She didn't know what to feel or really decide. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about her first kiss with Mags for a while now. Mags smiled, shook her head and cupped her cheek with one hand. Laura unashamedly leaned into the touch.

"Are you ready to abandon your old life to stay here?" she asked, "With me?"

A quiet murmur. For the first time, Laura didn't know.

O

Starlight Interstellar Theater had Night of the Fishman's Revenge playing. Raiders had piled into the seats to watch it unfold. Mags, William and Lizzie had been bored with the film halfway through and Laura was tinkering away at one of the consoles. A small zap from the electronics and she jerked back with a hiss of annoyance.

Mags chuckled, shaking her head.

Laura sighed, looked around for tools before she went right to work again with a screwdriver sitting nearby. She continued her work and the movie abruptly changed, playing a Vault-Tec documentary. Every raider in the room 'booed' collectively and Laura winced.

"Hold on!" she said, "I'll change it back!"

"Turn this shit off!"

"Vault-Tec can suck my dick!"

"They'd need a pair of tweezers for that!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

She made short work of the error and screwed in a few more times before the movie returned to Night of the Fishman's Revenge. Laura sighed with relief when the raiders seemed pacified once more.

Laura departed to look for something to drink and she passed the Startender; an enormous space sentry that had been hostile when she entered the Galactic Zone. Now, it was just rolling around, passing by without a single care in the world.

She paused in front of it when she noticed Needles and Jet sitting on the robot with a bottle of Nuka Cola in their hands.

"Hey, Laura!" Jet yelled, with glee, "Check it out!"

She laughed, shaking her head. "Guys, what are you doing?"

"Okay, listen..." Needles said, "Jet and I had this really great idea. What if we painted this thing up in Pack colors and hide it in the Gauntlet?"

Jet grinned at him. "You always have the best ideas."

"Nah, you do!"

Laura chuckled. "Well, I mean, I don't know. Didn't you guys have trouble with a Sentry Bot before?"

The two looked at each other, then disappointment crossed their faces when they remembered exactly what she was talking about.

"Oh yeah." Needles murmured. He removed his helmet and shook his head. "Panda, rest your stupid soul."

Laura gave the robot a pat before returning to the theater. She glanced across the way to Mags and tilted her head questionably.

The raider leader looked at her for the longest time and that familiar storm was back. Laura didn't know what it was, but a pleasant shiver came to her then. Mags' gaze darkened and she gestured with a flick of her head toward the door.

The younger woman didn't hesitate this time.

O

Returning to the Parlor paved way for an interesting evening.

Laura was lying on her belly in Mags' bed, clutching a pillow in her arms to her face as the other woman laid down beside her, running her hand down her back. Mags leaned her chin in her shoulder and watched Laura with a smirk. She seemed quite pleased by the flush on the other woman's cheeks and the way her eyes shut tight.

"Please..." Laura mumbled.

Mags leaned closer to her. "Hm?"

"Slow..." Laura managed, when she felt Mags' hand unbuckle her belt. "Please go slowly."

Mags smiled against her cheek. "Is that the only rule for tonight?"

"The only one. Ever."

Mags blinked, met her stare now and Laura gasped when she felt that hand cup the bare flesh of her backside. The look on the raider's face was surprised, but only for a moment. She chuckled and reached further into her pants and they both sighed when she found that place she was needed.

Fingers teased her in soft, aching circles against her sex. Laura moaned quietly, a shaking whimper escaping her lips. Mags was surprisingly so very gentle and Laura was even more surprised at how willing she was to grant her such.

"Make me forget..." she groaned.

Mags understood what she meant and nodded. "I intend to." she crooned, against her ear. "I intend to have you come many times until you forget him."

The guttural, pleased sound that escaped Laura's throat was all that answered her. At least, until Mags' fingers began to caress her once more through her pants. What followed were a series of whimpers and moans from the younger woman.

The slickness between her thighs became more obvious with each little stroke of the raider's fingers. She was not repulsed by it. She actually loved every little touch from Mags' hand.

"Oh God..." Laura gasped, in her pillow.

Mags rumbled with pleasure at the sounds. She removed her hand - much to Laura's disappointment - and brought those sticky fingers to her lips. Laura furrowed her brow and looked back at her, features flushed and lips parted in a few gasps.

"Suck them." Mags ordered, smirking.

Laura glanced down at her fingers covered in her own fluids and leaned forward, taking the digits into her mouth. Oh my. She had no idea such a lewd act would have her feeling hotter than she had before; with Mags watching her, it only made it better.

She sucked on those fingers for a few moments more before Mags slowly pulled them away, bringing them back to the place between her legs again. She rubbed her through her slick folds before pushing gently into her.

Laura gasped, arching back and tensing when she felt that thin finger slowly work into her. Mags softly chastised her for it.

"Relax. If you don't, then we may as well stop now." she whispered, in her ear.

"I'm...I'm sorry, I just..." Laura attempted, "It's hard to..."

She couldn't finish her sentence. She wanted Mags to touch her. She wanted it very much, but something held her away from it. She hated the fact that it kept her from relaxing and enjoying it.

Mags raised her eyebrows; she understood exactly why that was. Anything remotely near Laura's most sensitive area must have been difficult for her. Given Mason's nightly rape of the younger woman, Mags didn't blame her for that.

She wasn't out to hurt her, so she straightened a little more before she kissed the back of Laura's neck. It seemed to have a positive affect on the younger woman as she began to relax her shoulders a bit. Slowly. Inch by inch, her muscles unclenched at the strange, but welcoming comfort from Mags.

It took a few moments, but the gentle kisses and sucking on the back of her neck and shoulders seemed to help sooth her.

"Hmm, does that help?" Mags queried.

"Yeah...it does." Laura's voice carried a small smile.

"Are you ready now?"

"I-I think so."

Mags slowly worked her fingers into her again and Laura almost tensed up, but Mags continued to kiss her neck and the woman's voice dropped to a low, heated moan of pleasure. It stopped hurting and...oh my, it started feeling very good. It helped greatly that Mags worked slow and it began to build into a scorching ache that left her wanting more.

"Oh God," Laura gasped, burying her face into her pillow. Her fingers clenched and unclenched, kneading the fabric. "Oh yes...!"

Mags gave her ear a little nibble. "Mm, now that's what I like to hear," she purred, so seductively. "Enjoy it, Laura. Enjoy _me_."

Laura didn't have a problem with that now. Her body was well-enough ready to accept her. She didn't mind when Mags slipped another finger inside; the wetness made it certainly easy with each stroke. But when the woman twisted her fingers inside of her and scissored them, Laura REALLY started making sounds. She choked back a sob moments as Mags met her lips in a bruising kiss.

The raider's other hand cupped her cheek, holding her steady against her as her fingers moved faster. She found that spot that drew a heated, frantic yelp from Laura. She strained, moaning against Mags' chin.

"Please, please..." she begged.

Mags smirked down at her. "Please what?" she crooned, cupping her jaw in her free hand. "You want to come? Hm?"

"Yes!"

"Say please," Mags teased. "Say 'Please, let me come'."

She couldn't help it, really. It'd been such a long time since she had one like her and Laura was certainly addicting on her own.

"Please!" Laura nearly choked out her words. "Please let me come!"

Mags chuckled, holding her jaw steady as she worked her hand faster. She gave breathless whispers to "come" and Laura had nowhere else to look but her. Well, that certainly was enough for her to teeter over the edge.

When she came, she gave a shriek and tried to pull away from the overstimulation, but Mags held her still, hissing out roughly.

"Don't stop, Laura." she ordered.

Laura choked out something that resembled an apology - for WHATEVER reason - and Mags watched as she rode out her orgasm. My, she certainly wasn't subtle about it, but the raider leader was quite pleased nonetheless. She brought her over the edge a second time and Laura was helpless to the onslaught of sensations that left her weak and boneless in the raider leader's bed.

O

Once she was relaxed, Mags chuckled, removing her fingers from her. "All finished?" she queried.

"Mm-hmm..." Laura murmured.

"You almost stopped on me." Mags remarked.

Laura laughed a little and looked back at her, somewhat shy now in the wake of the raider's scrutiny and their bedroom escapades. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I can just deduce that you haven't finished like that before."

Laura gave another laugh, her cheeks reddening. "No."

"Hm," Mags patted her backside. "Alright, stand up and undress."

Laura blinked, surprised. She didn't argue and rose, slowly; turning her back to Mags, she began removing her clothes and shying a little from Mags' eyes. The raider smirked at her, tilting her head at the timid gesture. When she looked down, she noticed the mottled green marks from what could have only been Mason's doing. They had almost completely healed, but still looked unpleasant in the dim light of her room.

Mags' smile thinned a little.

Laura took a deep breath and turned once she was properly undressed so that Mags could get a look at her. The raider leader's brow knotted when she saw the bruises on Laura's breasts and belly. The son of a bitch had really done more to her than she thought.

But Mags opted to ignore that for tonight and reached for her, pulling her into her arms. Laura looked surprised when she noticed that Mags didn't seem too troubled by her bruises. She tried to play it off, but Mags could see it still bothered her a little.

"They're not so bad..." she said, with a small shrug. "They don't hurt anymore."

Mags exhaled. "Well, I'm not in an effort to break my little doll." she murmured. A small smile lit her lips at Laura's sheepish giggle.

Mags removed her hands from the woman's sides and worked to undo the ribbon that kept her hair in place. Laura blinked, stunned to see the blonde locks flow around Mags' shoulders. It drew a blush to her cheeks, one that the raider caught.

"What?" she asked.

Laura smiled, shaking her head. "Nothing. I've just never seen you with your hair down like that. You look..." Off of Mags' expectant look, Laura tried to find the right word. She smiled meekly. "Pretty."

Mags gave a bark of laughter. "How astute of you."

She leaned back a bit to properly begin to undress herself; first the armor and then loosening the tie around her neck. Laura reached out with two hands, but stopped herself. Mags noticed the desire to take a more active roll there in her gaze. She tilted her head, gave her a curious smile and lowered her hands.

"Undress me, then." she purred.

"Really?"

"Yes. Don't be so shy."

The near playful smirk on Mags' face made Laura blush intensely. She didn't want to displease, and it amazed her that being with a raider this time felt better than it ever had before. Plus, it wasn't like she hadn't been with women before. Being in Diamond City, she'd dated a girl and slept with her under the stars. Of course, Mags didn't exactly seem the sentimental type.

She didn't think on it long as she began to unbutton the suit jacket she wore. Reaching in with two hands, she slowly pushed the jacket aside so that she could work on the shirt and tie. Mags watched her the entire time, as if fascinated.

Once Laura pushed the shirt aside and touched Mags' bare skin, she savored the sensation of it for a few moments before helping her out of her shirt.

Then, the younger woman saw a hideous patch of white scarring in the shape of a diamond on Mags' right shoulder and her eyes widened with a quiet gasp. Mags caught the look, glanced down at it and chuckled humorlessly.

"Oh. Yet another sign of Evelyn Black's maternal nature," she said. She didn't seem bothered by it. "Turns out, there are more uses for a clothing iron than you would think."

"Oh my God..." Laura couldn't believe it.

Mags raised her eyebrows. "Does the sight of my scar put you off?"

"No! No, not at all," Laura insisted, shaking her head. "It's just... I'm sorry that had to happen to you."

Mags looked surprised for a moment. Then, she tsked, shook her head and pulled the woman closer. Such sentimentality. Perhaps it was one of the few reasons she was so charming in her way.

"Come here..." Mags purred, "We're not finished yet. I said I'd make you come many times and I intend to do so."

Laura allowed herself to be rolled onto her back and watched as Mags crouched over her; a while ago, she'd been on her back before with Mason, but with Mags it just felt different. Despite still being a dangerous raider, Laura actually...felt safe with her. It was a twisted way to think about, but maybe Nisha had been right and she was just meant to be here.

With a soft gasp, she watched as Mags slowly spread her open with two hands; it made her feel vulnerable, but in a pleasant way. She couldn't think of any reason why, but it just felt good.

Mags raised three fingers and began to rub aching circles against Laura's sex. The woman moaned, closed her eyes and rolled her hips against the movement. It began to build up the sense of need again. Mags watched her with an appreciative smile; she didn't just gaze at Laura as if she were a piece of meat, but she looked at her with want. With desire.

"Alright, up..." Mags encouraged, wriggling a little so that it put Laura in just the proper position to bring their crotches together.

Laura's lips parted in a soft gasp as Mags began to rock her hips, grinding against her slowly. Oh... _Oh_ , that was nice. Not as intense as Mags' fingers had been when she was on her belly, but this was good.

Very, very good.

Mags held her ankle in one hand as she rode her; Laura clutched the woman's legs, holding on for all her worth. She wasted no time getting into a rhythm that had them both riding one another. As Mags ground down, Laura rocked up to keep pace with her. Mags certainly seemed to appreciate her responses as she smiled her approval and nodded, breathlessly encouraging her.

"Yes, Laura..." she hissed, "Yes..."

Laura felt a surge of pride being able to draw those noises from her. She smirked and Mags gave a breathless laugh at the sight. She was getting bolder. She quite liked that. Faster she worked her hips and faster Laura responded.

Mags clutched her thigh, holding her tightly for each movement; Laura's hands were everywhere now, running across her sides and belly. It was so very good and she wanted it to last, but the inevitable was approaching quickly.

The raider uttered low, deep grunts that gradually grew shorter, higher. Doubling over, she clenched her teeth and Laura held onto her tighter, nails trailing pink paths down her back.

Cupping her cheeks, Laura pulled her in for a kiss and Mags - teetering on the edge - didn't argue with it. She met Laura's lips in a bruising kiss and after a few more seconds, she tipped over the edge with a sharp, rapturous sound.

A series of gasps and moans escaped the raider woman; though she didn't take long to recover as she reached between them and began rubbing Laura's clit with two fingers.

Laura stiffened with a wanton moan and a smirk lit Mags' lips. She watched the younger woman through strings of sweat-damp hair as she brought Laura over the brink once more.

O

"Wait. No more..."

At that, Mags had immediately stopped trying to bring Laura over the edge again and laid down beside her, lounging like a contented lioness. Laura looked surprised and satiated as she felt fingertips trace paths over her collar bone.

Mags straightened on her elbows and regarded the woman with a smile. "Mm, it's been a while since I've enjoyed that."

Laura laughed a little and turned on her side. She noticed Mags was looking at her bruises and her smile disappeared a little.

"It bothers you." she said.

"And it doesn't bother you?"

"It did." Laura replied, with a sigh. "But after a while, I just..." She shrugged her shoulders. "I just don't let it get to me anymore."

"Really." Mags didn't seem as if she believed her.

"Well, what can I do?" Laura asked, with a skeptical frown. "I'm not exactly built like an animal like he is. I couldn't fight back. And if I did? Well..." She gave a gesture to her bruises to emphasize her point.

Mags sighed through her nose. "I see..."

Laura straightened a little before she smiled and ducked her eyes away from Mags. The reality of what they'd done caught up with her and she suddenly felt so very shy in her presence again. She couldn't quite help it, really.

Mags noticed, of course and chuckled. "Well, we should dress ourselves. No doubt William is wondering where to find me."

Laura nodded her head. "Yeah," she agreed.

They started dressing and it was mostly in silence before Mags noticed how distracted Laura seemed. As the woman started to turn around, she reached behind her to cup the back of her neck and pull her in for a kiss. It had Laura melting into her.

"I have no intention of fucking you just for fun," Mags reminded her, "Don't look at me that way, I see you thinking it. Well, it was fun fucking you, but I'm not Mason and I don't use my...playmates just for bedroom activities."

Laura laughed and looked satisfied with the response. She didn't say anything more on the matter and just enjoyed the little moment between them.

Things had taken an interesting turn.

Later that evening, Colter and Gage were discussing the recent success of Nuka World. Gage received word from Dan that Laura had planned on staying with them and it brought a bright, delighted smile on his face. Well, he knew she'd come around.

"Hell, I knew that kid would wise up!" he said.

Colter snorted and shook his head. "Well, nice to see you two ladies enjoying yourselves." he snapped. "Why don't you go have a little drink down at the Cafe and braid each other's fucking hair?"

"What's with you?" Gage asked, frowning.

Dan made a face and looked at Gage. "I'm going to check in with Mags. Tomorrow, we can get working on cleaning up Kiddie Kingdom."

He turned to leave and once he was gone, Gage looked at Colter with a scowl.

"Alright, you wanna enlighten me on what's up your ass tonight?" he asked. "What? You were so happy to have her doing YOUR job for you."

"Yeah? And what then?" Colter hissed, pacing. "You gonna start following her?"

"What the fuck are you talking about? No one said shit about anybody following that kid."

Gage studied Colter for a long time, then scoffed and shook his head. "Just let us do the work we came here for." he snapped, turning to go. "Don't worry about the rest."

He walked out of the building and left Colter alone to think about what had happened. And what was going to happen.

The man looked out toward the park, took a seat and bottle of whiskey. Running his finger around the rim, he studied the passing raiders below him.

Just what WERE they up to?


	9. A Magical Kingdom

~O~

 **A Magical Kingdom**

It was mostly a morning of scavenging.

Laura poked around at a few boxes, listening to a few howls from the two Pack members who'd chosen to accompany her; Needles and Jet. Dan of the Operators had joined and Dixie of the Disciples had come with her. It was still unusual seeing them not trying to kill one another.

She entered a broken, rundown house and found what remained of a camp. A dead Ghoul was lying near a lantern and Laura noticed a holotape lying nearby. Curious, she retrieved it and looked down at the Ghoul once.

She furrowed her brow, turned it in her hands for study before looking up at the sound of Jet yelling for her.

"Hey! Laura! Where'd you run off to?"

She pocketed the holotape and stepped out of the house. Jet was holding a bag in his arm and he looked proud of himself.

"Guess what I just found," he said. "Boom!"

He opened the bag, revealing a stash of Chems inside. Laura laughed and shook her head. "You hit the jackpot, eh?"

"Hell yeah, I did." Jet turned and started walking away with Laura following. "So...you and the Operator bitch, huh."

Laura blushed somewhat. "What are you talking about?"

"Hey, come on," Jet teased, with a grin, "I can smell her musk on you."

"You phrased that weird." Laura quipped. When she stared at his broad grin, she rolled her eyes. "God, I forgot who I'm talking to."

"You could have prime Alpha, but you do you," Jet replied, still grinning.

Laura glanced down at her bag. "Hey, you guys keep searching. I want to check something."

"Sure. Hey, you on the lookout for anything?"

Laura thought about it before grinning. "Funnel Cake. I hear Nuka World had the best Funnel Cake in the world."

Jet winked. "You got it."

Laura looked around for something to put the holotape in. She found a monitor that had been used near the camp and placed it inside. It clicked and a thick, sickly voice echoed from it.

 _"I think this is it. I can't go any further. I can feel it taking me."_ A low, feral growl escaped the female voice. _"No, gotta keep it together a little longer. Oswald, I'm sorry. I've looked everywhere I could think, but there's no cure. What towns and outposts I could find said that we ghouls just go feral eventually, and there's nothing to be done. Maybe it was the misters."_

Laura was surprised by the information. Were there still non-feral Ghouls living nearby?

 _"Held out..."_ Another moan. _"...as long as I can. I know this isn't what you'd want but... I can't stand the thought of mindlessly attacking everyone around me, so I've decided to end it on my own terms. I don't know why it hasn't affected you the same, but if you've still held it together... I want you to move on. Leave Nuka-World. You can still make a life out there. It's not all as bad as we thought. I love you Oz."_

"Hey, check it out!"

"No, ditch it."

"Why? No point in letting Chems go to waste."

"Hey, I may be a Chem-head, but I got standards. I like to know where my shit comes from."

"Yeah, you're right."

Laura listened to Needles and Jet talking from behind the overturned ceiling and she made her way over to them. They were going through a stash of Chems in a lock box that seemed old. Laura tilted her head and looked at the two raiders.

"Yeah, I wouldn't use those," she agreed.

"Man..." Needles griped. "I need a fix. There's no point in fucking going through this town. We already checked it when we..." He looked at Laura, who raised her eyebrows. "Too soon?"

"A little..." Laura said, tilting her head with a look.

She looked out toward Kiddie Kingdom and took a deep breath. Dan approached and followed her gaze toward the park. He made a face and leaned closer to Laura.

"Yeah. That place is the worst." he told her.

"Really? Why?"

Dan handed her his rifle and Laura peered through the scope. She could see Kiddie Kingdom swathed in what looked like green fog. Lowering the rifle, she groaned lowly and looked at Dan.

"Are you kidding me?" she said.

"Nope. That's been like that since we got here."

"How am I supposed to go through that?"

"We have a radiation suit," Dan explained, "We can fix it up with armor and paint to keep you hidden. But you'll need to work fast." He patted her shoulder. "But not today. Today, we're going to head back and bring the spoils."

Laura smiled with relief. "Great."

Still, on the way back to Nuka Town U.S.A., she couldn't help but look down at the holotape she'd listened to.

O

Laura winced, struggling to reach the bird perched on the sign.

"Come on..." she griped, "I don't want to eat you, but I'm hungry..."

The bird ruffled the few feathers on its back before scooting away, out of her reach. Laura stretched, but lost her balance and fell with a yell...directly into William's waiting arms. She looked startled for a moment before grinning weakly.

"Hi, William." she said.

He shook his head, setting her down. "What the hell were you doing up there?"

"I was hungry."

"Huh. Well, Mags told me to come find you," William replied, "Says she has a surprise."

Laura tilted her head curiously and followed him to the Parlor. Mags was in her room, standing with her back to Laura. When she heard her enter, she didn't turn to look at her, but spoke with a certain pride in her voice.

"I have something for you, Laura. It wouldn't do to have one of my own without," she said. She turned, holding out a customized sniper rifle marked with Laura's name. A symbol was printed in the gun's grip and Laura tilted her head to look at it, noticing that it was the logo for the Operators with a little doll leaned against it.

Mags smiled when she took it. "The doll was my idea. Lizzie insisted that since you're one of us, you deserve something special."

Laura chuckled, turning it in her hands for study before nodding. "Thank you, Mags."

"Of course." Mags replied.

When Laura turned, Mags approached and put her arms around her waist. They looked at one another in the cracked mirror of Mags' room.

Laura chuckled, closing her eyes and leaning her head to one side when Mags leaned her face in her shoulder. It still seemed like an odd circumstance, but a welcoming one all the same. After all, she had found not only a place among raiders, but a lover as well. And one who had given her feeling after Mason had taken it away.

What an odd pair they'd become.

"So..." Laura began, a bit awkwardly. "Is there anything that needs done around here before I wander to my inevitable death in Kiddie Kingdom?"

It was an attempt to joke, but Mags didn't seem to appreciate it. She furrowed her brow and pulled away, turning and exiting the room. Laura blinked, surprised by such a reaction from her and followed. They passed a few Operators, who didn't look up from their tasks.

Laura followed her outside and Mags turned to her.

"Um, did I say something wrong?" Laura asked, wary now.

"No." Mags replied, shaking her head. "I'm curious, however; how do you plan on entering Kiddie Kingdom?"

Laura shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I was going to use a Hazmat suit. Dan said he'd fix one up for me. I have the map layout all figured out."

Mags seemed to think about something. She gestured for Laura to follow her to the rooftop of the Parlor. The other woman climbed the ladder to the roof and Mags gestured toward the horizon where Kiddie Kingdom waited.

"There are Ghouls that infest that park," she explained, "Traps of every kind you can imagine. There is a Ghoul with half his wits still about him who we believe orchestrates the whole party. Do you know what he calls himself?"

Laura shook her head. "No."

"Oswald the Outrageous." Mags continued. She scoffed and gave Laura a look. "The only outrageous thing about him is that he's managed to outsmart most of my crew and lived to boast about it."

Laura suddenly looked worried. "Really?"

"Yes." Mags turned to face her now, "And you will be going in there."

"Is this you worried about me?" Laura smiled a little.

Mags pursed her lips somewhat. "Is it not within my right to have some measure of concern for those underneath my leadership?"

Laura was still rather pleased by the notion that Mags had some manner of care for her. It made her smile continuously and Mags shook her head.

"Stop looking at me like that. I'm simply stating the facts," she reprimanted calmly, "You must be prepared for what awaits you there."

Laura nodded her head now. "You're right. I'm just... I'm just scared."

Mags seemed to understand. "You're joking to alleviate your fears. I can respect that. So far." she replied, "But I am serious, Laura."

Laura again nodded. "I know."

Mags approached closer, putting an arm around her waist. "And what happens when you finish your task? Do you still intend to remain with us?"

A brief moment of hesitation passed Laura's eyes. Only for a second. She smiled now and nodded. "Yeah, now that I have a real reason to stay."

Mags raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "God, you really are sentimental, aren't you?"

Laura grinned, laughing.

O

 _"This one ain't about me. It's about this friend... that I have... who is not me. I ain't gonna lie to you all - love hurts. It really does."_

RedEye's voice over the radio filled the room as Laura worked on a jukebox. A Disciple was leaning over to watch her.

"So...this thing plays music?" she asked.

Laura nodded. "Well, if I can get it fixed, it will."

"What kind of songs are on this thing?"

"Lots, actually."

Lauren was cleaning some glasses and tilted her head as she watched the younger woman work. Laughing, she set the rag down and walked up.

"That damn jukebox ain't worked in a long time," she said, "If you can get it working again, goddamn it, you'd - "

There was a crackle before the machine lit up. Laura grinned with delight and the Disciple made a thoughtful sound of approval. Lauren looked surprised and smiled, patting the machine with one hand.

"Well, look at you full of surprises," Lauren remarked.

The younger woman nodded. "Okay, what kind of song do you guys want to hear?"

The Disciple sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Anything's better than RedEye's shit. Play whatever you want."

Laura scrolled through the list of music; some of the records had been worn with age and would possibly not play. She scrolled down the list of music and clicked one that looked good. The record scratched a little before playing "Where Did Our Love Go" by The Supremes.

Smiling, Laura began to dance to the song. Lauren joined in and eventually, so did Keith. The Disciple shook her head with dismay.

Laura took Keith's hands and they danced together, laughing with a few moments, they lost their balance, falling to the floor where they continued to laugh. Lauren smiled, shaking her head. She gave the jukebox a little pat.

Then, a voice filled the Cafe that had Laura's blood running cold.

"Well, well, well. Already presenting, huh?"

Laura scrambled to her feet and turned, finding Mason standing there. He smirked a little and started forward. Keith quickly stepped out of the way and Lauren moved to step in front of her, but Laura urged her aside.

Mason leaned up against her, backing her into the bar counter. Laura looked away, lips pursed when he leaned in close.

"You can run around with Operator trash all you like," he growled, "But you know exactly what you got missing back home."

Laura shut her eyes tightly when he pawed her between her legs. He chuckled and she noticed Lauren and Keith watching with apology and disgust. Lauren was clearly considering something, but Laura shook her head rapidly.

"You'll remember that this belongs to me, like everything else," he growled in her ear, "And when you're done whatever you do in the park, I'm gonna drag you back and remind you who's the real fucking Alpha - "

He didn't get to finish as Laura's hand was at her belt and whipping out a knife. She sliced it across Mason's cheek and he recoiled with a shout, backing away from her. A collection of shocked gasps filled the Cafe and Mason held his cheek.

"What the fuck?" he spat, eyes wide with wrath.

Laura looked down at the knife in her hand, dripping with his blood. She shook, calming her voice and speaking with rage now.

"You won't fucking touch me again!" she shouted, "Not unless you want me to stick this fucking knife in your dick and cut it off!"

The Disciple let out a loud cackle and Keith tried to stifle his.

Mason stared down at his hand in disbelief. Then, he glowered at her and his chest swelled in a deep breath. Oh, she had gotten more bold.

"You little bi - " he began.

"MASON!"

Everyone turned and found Colter stepping into the bar. He made his way toward the scene and looked at Laura, who glanced down at the knife in her hand. She quickly hid it behind her back and Colter grinned, laughing loudly.

"Hah! Girl's a bit of a spitfire, ain't she?" he said.

Then, he turned to Mason and tilted his head. "Hey, do dogs fly, Mason?"

Mason frowned. "No."

"Then you keep that in mind when you look at her," Colter snapped, pointing at Laura. "Because if I see that pencil dick of yours jump out of your pants, you jump right off of the fucking top of Fizztop Mountain."

Mason blinked, glancing down at his bloodied face before skulking out of the Cafe. Colter looked at Laura now and gestured with one thick finger.

"Follow me. We're going to have ourselves a little talk."

O

Laura and Colter sat across from one another at Fizztop Grille. Laura was fidgeting with her empty bottle of Nuka Cola and Colter had been chugging down a bottle of beer. Laura was uncomfortable being here with him, alone. But it was better than being around Mason.

"So..." Colter began, with a sigh as he sat his bottle down. "Kiddie Kingdom."

Laura nodded her head. She didn't know what else to say.

"Well on your way to finishin' the job," Colter continued, with a grin, "Say, I've heard you decided to stick around. Guess you saw the light, eh?"

Laura managed a weak smile. "Something like that."

Colter seemed to be considering something. His hand distractedly toyed with the empty beer bottle before he spoke again, voice lightly edged.

"So what are they doing?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

Colter scoffed, slapping his hand on the table. "Don't fucking play stupid, girl!" he shouted, causing her to jump in her seat. "I know you're cozying your way to the top! I know you know something!"

Laura withered a bit, shaking her head rapidly. "N-no, that's not what's going on!" she stammered, "I was - I-I mean-"

Colter relaxed a little, studying her with a sharp scrutiny she only saw in Deathclaws. That moment when she had been in a caravan and barely escaped with her life. He still frightened her and she wasn't about to do anything that would send him off the edge.

Eventually, Colter stood up and walked to her side of the table. Laura warily watched him and he smiled, showing his nasty, yellow teeth.

"Yeah, I know you ain't stupid," he continued, "You'll come right to me if you know something's up."

Laura nodded her head. Fear still lit her features. "I know. I will."

Colter nodded his head and peered out the window, watching the world below him. Laura furrowed her brow, not sure what else to say. He faced her again and leaned down, slapping both hands down on the arm rests of the chair, trapping her in her seat.

She leaned back as far as she could and he smiled. "Do your job. Clear out that last park and then? I'll make sure you get what you deserve, yeah?"

Laura managed a weak grin in response. "That's the plan."

"Oh, and if those gang leaders are planning anything?"

"I'll be sure to tell you."

"Good."

O

"So what did he say?"

"I bet she was grilled big time."

Laura stood with the gang leaders that evening, explaining why Colter had called her to his place. Nisha murmured thoughtfully and Mags gave a soft snort. Mason simply laughed it off like it was no big concern, though he seemed to still think on it.

"What did you tell him?" Nisha asked.

"The truth. Nothing. I don't know anything," Laura told her.

Mags nodded her approval. "Good."

William glanced up at Mason and tilted his head curiously at the sight of his face covered with a bandage. He raised an eyebrow and the Pack Alpha snorted at him.

"What?" he snapped.

"What the hell happened to your face? Fight with a Deathclaw again?" William remarked.

Mason met Laura's eyes for a brief second before he scoffed. He didn't say anything more, but Mags caught the little exchange between them. She folded her arms across her chest and looked at Laura. The woman gave her a look that said "I'll tell you later".

"Either way, Colter has reason to be concerned," Nisha spoke now, voice filled with sly amusement, "He knows he's fucked up too much and his days are numbered. But that's a discussion for another time." She turned to Laura. "You have work to do in the morning."

Laura nodded her head. "Yeah."

Later that evening, Mags and Laura spent time in the Operator leader's room; Mags was laying on top of her, running a hand up and down her abdomen.

"I saw Mason's face," Mags said, smiling her approval. "Did you do that to him?"

Laura laughed a little. "Yeah." she replied, absurdly proud of herself. "I never thought I'd do something like that."

"Maybe next time, you can aim lower and neuter that dog."

Laura laughed again, almost delighted by the attention. Then, her features filled with uncertainty. "Will that come back and bite me?"

Mags shook her head. "There is one thing the Pack understands and that's force and humiliation." she explained. "Mason received your message loud and clear. Unless he wants to be perceived as weak, you won't be touched again."

Laura breathed a sigh of relief. The thought of having Mason no longer trying to pounce on her took a great weight off of her shoulders. Mags' fingers against her belt derailed her thoughts and she focused on the raider woman's hand as she worked to unbuckle it.

"Now, enough talk about animals," Mags said, with a smirk, "Let's get to know one another tonight."

Laura gasped softly when Mags' hand slid into her pants. She leaned her head back to enjoy it.

O

The next morning, Laura was wearing a Hazmat suit that had been constructed with armor plating to protect her from whatever waiting for her inside Kiddie Kingdom. Dan, Dixie, Needles and Jet had all pitched in to give her the weapons she would need for her trek inside.

"Okay, here's a map of the entire park," Dan said, handing her a pamphlet. When Laura opened it and looked down at the red circles, he winced. "Those are places Oswald has traps. That we're aware of."

Laura laughed nervously. "Great, so I'm flying blind."

Dixie chuckled and patted her back. "Look on the bright side!" she said, "There's plenty of opportinities to practice in there."

"What do you mean?" Laura asked, frowning worriedly.

"Ghouls frolick around in that park like bugs in a swamp," Dixie explained, "Plenty of chances to practice with your knife until you meet the real deal."

She laughed with delight at Laura's sickened expression.

"As much as it really pains me to side with her on this one, Dixie's right," Dan told the woman, "You really need to be ready. Oswald won't be so stupid like the rest of the Ferals in there. You'll need to go at him with everything."

Laura rolled the map up and set it in a small bag on her side; it was filled with grenades given to her by Dixie and Lizzie. She wasn't sure just what sort of things she'd run into while she was in there, but if the raiders were more than concerned, she had to be.

"Alright." she said, hesitantly. "I'm ready."

Dixie fitted the hazmat helmet over her head; it had bits of steel plating welded into it to protect her head from bites or scratches from the Ferals. Connecting the tubes to the oxygen tanks, she made sure they were properly fitted.

Dan tapped his own ear. "We'll be outside here with a radio in case you need to talk," he assured her, "There's a speaker built into the helmet, but it only has so much range to it. So when you're in far enough, we won't be able to hear you."

Laura glanced up at the top of the helmet and spotted the tiny speaker inside. "Where'd you get this?"

"Courtesy of our neighbors, the Gunners," Dixie said, with a smile in her voice. She sighed longingly, savoring what could have only been a bloody memory. "Ah, now THAT was a good way to spend a nice early morning."

Laura smiled warily. "Oh..."

Dan nodded reassuringly now. "Alright. See you on the other side."

He gave her a pat, offered her her gun and Laura gave one fleeting look at them before slowly making her way toward the entrance to Kiddie Kingdom; it was swathed in a green glow from radiation and it made the park look frightening, despite all the cute statues, cutouts and caricatures.

"Okay..." she whispered, trying to calm herself, "Here we go."

And with that, she vanished into the mist.


	10. Clearing the Way

~O~

 **Clearing the Way**

Laura slowly and cautiously made her way into the park, struggling to see through the green mist. The sound of Dan's voice in the speaker was quiet as possible.

 _"Okay, Laura. There should be a gift shop up ahead,"_ Dan whispered, _"I want you to go inside."_

Laura swallowed thickly. "Why?"

"Oswald knows you're here."

Laura felt her throat tighten with unease and quickly made her way through the mist. She found herself stepping through the ruins of what once was a gift shop for the park. Not long afterwards, the throaty, rough voice of what could only be a Ghoul filled the air from the speakers above.

 _"Well now friends, it seems we have another uninvited guest to the park. Up! Up, performers! It's time for another show! Though I doubt you'll even make it to the Theater, stranger."_

Laura choked back a groan of fright and clutched her gun close to her chest. She could scarcely make out the sounds of shuffling and growling. Peering outside through a hole in the wall, she noticed several shapes moving slowly in the mist.

"Oh shit..." she whispered, "Dan, I need a plan, here."

 _"Alright. The Fun House is near you. Do you see it?"_

Laura looked around before she noticed a nearby building. It had to be the Fun House he spoke of. She made her way toward it, before stumbling into a food cart, knocking several tools and old plates to the ground.

Horrified, she looked over her shoulder, just as the Feral Ghouls turned in her direction. Groaning, Laura turned and ran.

"Shit!" she cursed.

The Feral Ghouls groaned, pursuing her. Laura hurried toward the Fun House, threw the door open and ran inside. Slamming the door behind her, she could scarcely make out the sounds of scratching and snarling. But it seemed they wouldn't be able to get inside.

 _"Baker, baker, pastry maker. Shoot and slash and bite and break her. Welcome boys and girls to... The Fun House!"_

Oswald singing over the PA system annoyed Laura a little, but she decided not to focus on that and continue her search for him. The Fun House was probably riddled with traps, but at least she was away from being ripped apart by Ferals.

She cautiously stepped through the main lobby and into another room, leading her into a Hall of Mirrors. Laura took a shaking breath and looked around before frowning.

"Fuck!" she hissed.

Dan's voice crackled over the speakers. _"Laura? Laura, are you alright?"_

"Yeah, I'm in the Fun House now," Laura said, eyes wandering around the room, "Those Ferals almost took a bite out of me, but I'm fine now."

"Good. Now there are some traps he had set up in there. I can't tell you where, you'll need to figure that out yourself." Dan explained.

Jet and Needles scoffed.

Dan looked up at them with a frown. "What?"

"You're gonna get her blown up into dog food, just..." Jet took the speaker from him. "Let me."

Dan scowled at him and snatched it back. "And have you leading her through the park like a squirrel on a race track? No thanks."

Dixie laughed gleefully when they began to play tug-of-war with the machine. "Ooh, another fight!" she cried, slapping her hands together.

Needles jumped in and pushed his hands between the two. "Alright...ALRIGHT!" he yelled, "You idiots are gonna get her killed if you keep that stupid shit up!"

" _Uh, guys_?" Laura's voice spoke up from the speaker.

Dan cleared his throat, yanking the machine from Jet before giving the other raider a look. "Yeah, sorry about that, Laura. As I was saying... There are traps in the Hall of Mirrors, so you need to exercise some caution."

Oswald's voice piped up on the PA system again. _"Don't worry, the mirrors are too dirty to reflect anything,"_ he sneered. _"In your case, I'd say that's probably a benefit."_

Laura didn't hesitate and began to fire rounds from her gun through the mirrors, shattering them to nothing more than shards. Dan, Dixie, Needles and Jet had been staring at the speaker in surprise and waited until the gunfire had stopped before Jet spoke.

"Damn." he remarked.

Laura tiptoed her way through the remains of the Hall of Mirrors; she was careful to avoid any signs of traps or other creatures that Oswald probably kept well hidden, just ready for her. She nudged some shards away with her foot before stepping toward a set of double doors marked "EXIT".

 _"Well, seems you're a bit herdier than the others,"_ Oswald remarked, begrudgingly, _"No matter. The show must go on!"_

Laura stepped through the doors, passed a few Cappy statues and Bottles. Where was he? She found her way through a tunnel that led into a partially-flooded room with two bottle-shaped spinning contraptions. A few Ferals wandered through the water, snarling and hissing.

It seemed like they couldn't quite reach her, so she was able to walk toward the maintenance tunnel without concern. Gun held close, Laura kept watch for Oswald.

"...What are you doing out of costume again? You know Nuka fires people for breaking character."

Laura paused, making out the familiar sound of his voice close by. She slowly walked down the tunnel toward a window that looked down into a storage room.

A Ghoul dressed in a paint-spattered tuxedo stood in front of a Feral. Laura was surprised to see he was radiating a green glow. It wasn't often a Glowing One maintained their state of mind. This was Oswald, for sure.

The Feral growled softly and Oswald chuckled a little. "Yes of course I'm kidding. But seriously, the clown make up helps scare the invaders off and there's a new one in the park."

Laura furrowed her brow.

The Feral growled again and Oswald sighed. "No. No I don't think that's going to work this time. There's something different about this one." He straightened the tattered costume the Feral Ghoul was wearing before stepping back to admire his work. "There. Back in character. I need to prepare some more surprises for our visitor so I'll leave you to find your way out. Don't worry. Rachel will be back with a cure and we can finally put an end to this."

Laura watched as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Cursing, she stepped into the room, only to have the Feral Ghoul turn to her with a snarl. She opened fire on the Ghoul, sending it stumbling backwards in a hail of bullets.

The Ghoul collapsed, dead to the floor. Laura crept passed it, followed the tunnel until she was outside again. Groaning, she looked around for signs of Oswald, but couldn't see him anywhere.

She sighed. "Dan, I think I lost him."

Dan frowned, barely making out Laura's voice through the static of the radio. "Laura?" he said, "Hey, you might want to check King Cola's Castle. Can you hear me?"

Laura could barely make out the sound of his voice.

 _"King...Castle... ear me...?"_

She glanced up beyong the green haze and spotted the castle nearby. She'd heard enough from Dan's voice struggling to get through to assume Oswald would definitely go there.

O

Laura made her way to the castle and stepped inside. Fortunately, the air was clear of radiation, which gave her a moment to remove the helmet and take a breath. Clearing her throat a little, she sat down to rest for a moment before deciding what to do when she confronted Oswald.

She furrowed her brow and reached into her bag, pulling out the holotape she'd found earlier. It had been the one of the Ghoul who mentioned Oswald's name. Could that have been the Rachel he talked about in the tunnel?

Maybe there was a way she could face him and no one had to die.

Fitting the helmet back on, she made her way into the theater of the castle. There was a puff of smoke above her and she looked up, aiming her gun at Oswald, who now stood on the balcony that overlooked the room.

"I'll admit, I didn't think you'd make it this far. I can tell you're different than the usual invaders, so I'll not bother with the usual tricks and illusions I use to scare off the superstitious." he said, with a smile on his face.

Laura frowned. "Yeah, I read a little more than some of them..."

Oswald tilted his head at the jibe. He disappeared in a puff of smoke, then reappeared in the same manner in front of her.

"You raiders are all the same. You come into someone's home, steal their belongings and kill those they care about. I'm not going to let you kill any more of my friends. This is our home, not yours." he said.

Laura nodded her head in agreement. "I know. I didn't want it to continue in bloodshed."

A derisive laugh. "A raider who doesn't want bloodshed? Do I look stupid to you?" he snapped. "You come here, attack my friends, try to steal our home and have the gall to claim you aren't my enemy?"

Laura lowered her gun. "Yeah, that probably sounded stupid." she agreed. Sighing, she looked up at him. "You said you were defending this place for a while. Was there someone looking for a cure for you out there? Was her name Rachel?"

Oswald's anger melted from his face. He sighed, shut his eyes for a moment and seemed to collect himself. Laura still took no chances in case he would be set off again; she maintained her hand on her gun, but she didn't want to instigate an attack if she had a choice.

"Yes," he said, evenly. "She went out in search for a cure 200 years ago. We've waited for her to return. We can wait as long as it takes."

Laura sighed, stared at the holotape in her hand. "Rachel's dead."

Oswald's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Here..." Laura offered him the holotape. "She left this for you."

He took the holotape from her hands and his features twisted with sorrow. "No. No...my poor Rachel," he moaned, clutching it tightly to his face. "How could I allow her to leave my side on such a difficult journey alone? This is all my fault."

Laura sighed sadly. "I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to say.

Oswald cleared his throat, cradled the holotape in his hands before regarding her with a newly hardened resolve. "Well that does it, then. It's up to me to leave here and find the cure myself," he said, "I'll gather what remains of my friends and we'll leave this place in your care. Don't worry about the radiation, it will no longer be a burden to you and your kind."

Laura looked shocked. "Wait, you really want to leave?"

"I have to." Oswald said, gravely.

"But you do know it's dangerous out there, right?" Laura pointed out. "It's not like it was 200 years ago."

"I know. But this is something we have to do. Don't worry. You won't see us again."

Laura watched as he departed. Several Feral Ghouls emerged from their hiding places, following him out of the castle.

O

The air was clear again.

Raiders filed their way into Kiddie Kingdom once the radiation sprayers had been shut off. Laura was picking her way through a tower, thinking about what had happened with Oswald and the others. She felt guilty for having them pushed out of their homes, but perhaps it was better that way. Especially considering the many raiders there were.

Gage walked up to her with a smile. "Well, I'll be damned. I can't believe you actually did it."

Laura laughed and straightened. "I made you guys a promise and I stuck through with it. No more than that."

Gage chuckled. "You really are downplaying it, huh?" he said, "But it's like I told you; we ain't never been on solid ground like this before. But all the parks? You actually cleared them out. Hell, kid, you've really got what it takes to be one of us."

Laura smiled a bit. Then, she glanced to the side and noticed an odd outline on the wall. Furrowing her brow curiously, she approached it and noticed it resembled the shape of a Cappy. Realization lit her face and she reached into her back, scanning for the glasses.

"What are you doing?" Gage asked.

"I promised Sierra I'd look for those Cappy's for her." Laura explained. "I think that's one of them behind you."

Gage glanced over his shoulder. He made a face and shook his head. "Really? You're giving that Nuka Cola nut the time of day?"

Laura shrugged. "Hey, all of those Cappy's might lead to something. You never know."

Gage rolled his eyes. "Alright..."

He shook his head, walked away and Laura fitted the glasses on her face. She noticed the Cappy in detail now, bearing the letter "I" in a speech bubble. She murmured thoughtfully, scribbed it down on the map of Nuka World to remember it.

"Okay! Okay, what about this one?"

"No."

"This one?"

"You already showed me that one."

Laura looked around, frowning before she stuck her head out from one of the cracks in the tower wall. She found Jet and Needles going through boxes of old costumes. There were piles of old animal masks lying around them.

"Hey, guys?" she called down to them. "What are you doing?"

The two looked up at her.

"Hey!" Jet yelled. "We're just looking for some new masks! We found a whole closet full of 'em!" His face lit up and he reached into the box, pulling out a giraffe mask. "What do you think?"

Laura shook her head. "I don't know, Jet. You're more of a hyena kind of guy."

Needles and Jet looked at each other for a moment.

"Yeah, she's kinda right." Needles agreed.

Jet nodded his head. "Yeah, alright. I'll take the hyena one."

Laura chuckled and shook her head before wandering down the stairs. She passed a smashed glass case, paused and looked into it when she spotted something glittering inside. Curious, she reached in, pushed some glass aside and pulled out a watch. It had remained perfectly intact, save for a few scratches. Nuka Girl was centered on the face of the watch.

Hm. Maybe Mags would like it.

She pocketed the watch and decided to make her way back to Nuka-Town USA. Mags was waiting for her outside of the Parlor and stopped her with one hand.

"Laura, wait. You can't go in there yet." she said.

Laura looked surprised. "What? Why?"

Mags smiled thinly now. "I may have had a little idea," she told her, "And it would have been remiss of me not to allow it considering the circumstances of our...relationship. Lizzie's getting everything ready."

Laura laughed, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Lizzie stepped outside and smiled when she saw her. "Hello, Laura. It's good to see your trip to Kiddie Kindgom yielded positive results. And you're alive and well."

"Thanks." Laura said, with a small nod. "So...what are you guys doing in there?"

Lizzie chuckled. "Well, Mags thought that after your success, you and her could share a pleasant evening together. I just had to make certain that everything was suited to your particular needs."

Laura raised an eyebrow and Mags gestured for her to follow Lizzie first inside. Laura was amazed by the sight of an elegant table display and food laid out; corn, Brahmin steaks and food she hadn't laid eyes on in months.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "Is that Brahmin steak?"

Mags chuckled. "I insist on the best. As you know."

"So what's the occasion?"

"Celebrating." Mags explained. "Your success and our prosperous future."

Laura smiled. "Oh." Then, her smile disappeared and she glanced down at her bag. "Oh..."

Mags raised her eyebrows. "Your enthusiasm isn't quite what I expected it to be." she said, dryly.

"Huh? No! No, this is really great, Mags," Laura quickly sought to correct herself. "And I'm happy you did all this, but... It makes what I brought back for you look really stupid by comparison."

Mags blinked. "You have something for me?" she said. "Let's see it."

Laura hesitantly laughed, hand closing around her bag. "You won't like it."

"Laura, don't be ridiculous." Mags reached for the bag at her side. "Let's see what you've brought."

Laura didn't bother to argue and she sighed as Mags took the bag and ran her hand through it. She paused, tilted her head with a curious murmur before pulling out the watch. She glanced up at Laura, who shrugged her shoulders.

"It was just something I thought you might like." she said, with a weak smile, "I know you'd mentioned having a watch last night that you lost, so I thought..."

Mags cleared her throat. "It's fine."

Laura looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yes." Mags fitted the watch around her waist. "I appreciate gifts, as should anyone."

Laura smiled now.

"Oh, don't look at me like that. Sit. I have good Brahmin steak I won't see wasted."

O

Laura laid beside Mags in her bed that night.

The leader of the Operators didn't seem particularly pertubed by the fact that William was typing on the computer and watching them from the corner of his eye every so often. Laura was talking about a few Diamond City stories and Mags was listening quietly the whole time.

When it seemed like she was tired enough, she fell asleep under Mags' arm, her hand draped across her chest.

"Huh. Talked so much she tired herself out." William quipped.

Mags chuckled and shook her head. "She had quite the day."

"Do you really think she has what it takes to be one of us?" William asked. "Girl's still too soft, I think. She could have killed that damn Ghoul in Kiddie Kingdom. Instead, she let him walk free. They could come back while we're all asleep."

"That Ghoul was smart. He won't come back. And Laura got the job done."

William still didn't seem so certain, but said nothing more on the topic. And Mags had been right about one thing; Laura did the job and now they owned every park in Nuka World. So perhaps the seasoned raider wasn't considering the bigger picture. Somehow, Laura survived it all and he had to respect that much.

"Yeah, you're right." William agreed. "Hell, guess we should take our successes where we get 'em."

Mags started to rise, but Laura stirred, holding her tighter in her sleep. The raider woman laughed a little and glanced skeptically at her brother.

"Now she won't let me go. A week ago, she was scared to even touch me." she remarked.

"Well, Mason had a hand in that..."

"Yes, maybe he did. But I finish things. As you know."

William smiled. "You do."


	11. Cappy in a Haystack

~O~

 **Cappy in a Haystack**

It had been far too hot lately and months went by without a single rainfall. Laura had kept her promise to Sierra and scrolled down every letter from the Cappys she found in the parks.

"If I get lost in that maze one more time, I'm torching it!"

Laura blinked and looked toward a Disciple, who stalked by her in an angry huff. She looked toward the maze, but tried not to giggle at the thought of the Disciples running through it with torches and setting it ablaze in maniacal glory.

She made her way into the treehouse to observe the view of the park below for some space to herself. She could see the decorations that the Disciples had built - bloody totems and statues. Still, it didn't give her a chill as it had when she first met them.

Maybe she'd grown too accustomed to raider ways. After all, she was now one of them with a comforting life with Mags.

"Mm, I thought I'd find you up here." Mags was there now, having used the lift to reach her. "Do you need some time away from our blood-thirsty band below?"

"Yeah." Laura agreed. "I finished collecting all the Cappy letters for Sierra, so I can bring these back to her later."

Mags walked up behind her, leaning her head over her shoulder to see. "Honestly. Why are you indulging in that Nuka-Cola fiend?"

"I said I would." Laura replied, laughing.

"Is she giving you anything for your trouble?"

"Well...no. Not that I know of."

"Really." Mags looked at her with disappointment. "We are not a charity, Laura. I do not reach out to others unless they make it worth my while."

Laura raised an eyebrow and looked back at her. "You did with me."

"That was different. I happen to find you pleasing."

Laura smiled a little, somehow proud of the answer she received. Mags made a face before smiling thinly. She slipped her arms around the woman's waist and kissed the back of her neck. Laura squirmed pleasantly and giggled somewhat.

"I can count my blessings then," she said.

Mags chuckled against her ear. "Good. I'd hate to think my efforts went unappreciated."

Mags' hand slipped into her shirt - she hadn't been wearing her armor today - and rubbed her abdomen. Laura turned her head and met the woman's lips in a kiss. It was slow, but searing; Mags' lips teased the flames between them and Laura finally dropped the map she'd been holding to turn and properly face her.

"Ahh," Laura leaned her head back when Mags kissed the underside of her chin. "You need time away too, I guess."

Mags smiled and her look was positively fiendish. "Indeed."

Laura looked thrilled by the thought. Then, she glanced over her shoulder apprehensively. "What if they hear us up here?"

Mags raised a finger to her lips. "Then stay quiet."

Laura blinked once. Twice and her eyes widened with a groan when she felt a hand work through her belt and pants.

O

Mags studied the marks from the Gatorclaw that had been left on Laura's back.

She murmured thoughtfully, running her fingertips over the scabbing flesh. "I'm amazed. They're healing nicely." she said.

Laura glanced over her shoulder. "Yeah." She glanced up at the raider leader with a playful smile. "What? This isn't attractive?"

Mags tilted her head with amusement. "You've certainly changed since I first met you. It's welcoming." she remarked.

"Maybe I had a good teacher." Laura corrected herself. " _Teachers_. Well, you get the idea."

She gathered the map in her hands and looked at the other woman now. "So...what now? The parks are cleared and you all have your territories. What happens next?"

"Well, I suppose we'll have to see what Colter is planning," Mags replied, "Until then, we'll wait. But who knows how long that will last. With these little victories comes inspiration and you can't hold that sort of thing down forever."

Laura agreed with that. "Yeah, I know the Disciples have been talking about something for a while."

"Really?" Mags looked interested. "What have they said?"

Laura made a face. "Dixie said, and I quote 'Colter's gonna have himself a really bad day when he wakes up one morning with a knife in his little trouser snake'."

She had imitated Dixie's southern drawl and it had Mags grinning a little. In all seriousness, she was well aware of what the Disciples talked about when it came to Colter. They would not be patient for much longer and Colter would meet his end.

Much later, Laura returned to Sierra, who eagerly waited for her by Bradburton's office. She grinned excitedly, reaching for the papers with every letter Laura had found.

"Well, I found all of the Cappys for you," Laura told her, "They had letters for each one."

"Great! Let me take a look at these letters." Sierra said, looking down at the papers. "Well, anyone who's stared at Nuka-Cola merchandise as long as I have would get this one pretty fast. The letters definitely spell 'Refreshing'."

Laura blinked, impressed. "Well, you worked that out fast."

Sierra seemed a bit disappointed. "It's... simpler than I was expecting."

Laura laughed now. "Of course it's simple. The contest was meant for kids."

"Oh yeah! I forgot about that. I guess sometimes I just take all this Nuka-Cola stuff so seriously!" Sierra agreed, with a nod. She turned to the keypad near the door of the office. "This door should lead to Bradberton's office, but it's locked up tight. The keypad is the only way to open it. You did all the work looking for the Hidden Cappys, so you should be the one who gets to enter the code."

Laura shrugged her shoulders, but entered the code. There was a moment of silence before a loud click. The two looked at each other in surprise. Sierra grinned excitedly and hurried through the door. Laura followed behind her and entered the office.

O

There wasn't much in the office that was impressive enough.

Laura looked around at various Nuka Cola bottles in a glass case, a few displays and cutouts. Even a pristine Nuka Cola machine. Sierra was searching through his desk and frowned thoughtfully. She saw nothing particularly out of place either.

"Look around. There might be something here," she suggested.

Laura murmured an affirmative and noticed a red button placed behind the machine. She tilted her head and pressed it. Both of them turned at the sound of a bookcase moving and revealing an elevator behind it.

Sierra looked surprised. Then, she grinned and walked up to it. "Look at that! Mister Bradberton, you were one sneaky devil."

Laura followed her into the elevator and she smiled, unable to control her own excitement. They were going somewhere only pre-war people had ever seen.

The elevator stopped below and opened up to reveal an open vault door. Sierra and Laura looked around, awestruck by what they were seeing. Laura wandered toward a set of lockers and opened them up to see if she could find anything useful.

"Wow! What is this place? Let's take a closer look!" Sierra said. She stepped through the vault door and Laura followed her. "Now this looks interesting. Come on!"

"Hold on, Sierra," Laura said, with a chuckle, "We should be careful in case it's booby-trapped."

"Good idea. I mean - " Sierra had been walking down a velvet red set of stairs, but she paused and her eyes widened in shock. "What on Earth? Wait... no... it can't be!"

Laura sighed impatiently. "Sierra, come on!"

She followed her down into an elegant, untouched chamber filled with pre-war artifacts; a motorcycle, car and various other items Laura had only dreamed of. At the center was a machine where a preserved head was being kept.

"That's John-Caleb Bradberton!" Sierra exclaimed. She paused, tilting her head. "Or at least, it's his head. Wow!"

Then, the head enchased in the glass container spoke. "Who... who are you? I haven't seen a real human face in so long. I had given up all hope."

Laura's eyes widened and Sierra couldn't believe it.

"Oh my GOD!" she cried. "It's alive! He's ALIVE!"

Bradberton looked around the room, then focused on the two there. Then, he turned his focus primarily on Laura. "You there. What are you doing here? "

Laura made a face. "Um, well...we solved your Hidden Cappy contest."

Bradberton frowned thoughtfully. "The Hidden Cappy contest... it all seems so long ago. Another lifetime." Then, he scowled. "That was before I became this monster. Before I was trapped here for centuries to suffer in solitude. This was General Braxton's plan all along. Damn the man!"

Laura wasn't sure who he spoke of, but it had to be the man who had put him in the machine. "I'm sorry." she told him. "I mean, I don't know what else to say. But...who was this General Braxton and what did he do to you?"

Bradberton sighed. "He was one of the top men in the Army Research Laboratory's Weapons and Materials division," he explained, "He'd taken a keen interest in my quantum mechanics research, and offered me a trade. In exchange for my assistance on a top-secret weapons project, he gave me access to an experimental process tthat would artificially extend my life. Like a fool, I leapt before I looked. I've certainly paid the price for my short-sightedness."

"Ah, I got it..." Laura stared at him sympathetically.

Sierra looked stunned. "A... a weapon? I don't believe it. Why would the genius who brought so much joy to the world want to make something destructive?"

Bradberton scowled at her now. "Genius is restless, madam! It must expand, seek new challenges, and explore new frontiers. So yes, a weapon." He returned his attention to Laura and his voice was even. "In fact, the prototypes are stored in this very chamber. You can have them, on one condition. I want you to shut off the power to this machine that's keeping me alive. I want to die."

Sierra's eyes widened. "What?! No!"

"Yeah, if our places were reversed, I'd probably want the same thing." Laura agreed, smiling sadly.

Bradberton looked relieved. "Then I trust you will honor my wish."

Sierra turned desperately to Laura. "You can't kill him! He's a great man! He invented Nuka-Cola, the best thing in the world!"

Laura furrowed her brow. "Sierra, you can't be serious."

"Young lady, you don't know what a torment it is, being trapped here alone and staring at the same wall, decade after decade," Bradberton snapped, glaring at Sierra impatiently. "Now please shut up while I talk to your more rational friend here."

Laura sighed and shook her head when he addressed her again.

"I realize that what I'm asking isn't easy, but there's something in it for you," he promised her. "When the power is cut, the door to the prototype storage room will open automatically. Take anything you want. I don't care anymore."

"I've...never had to kill anyone before."

"I understand, just..." Bradberton looked at her desperately through the ice-covered glass of his jar, "please...set me free at last. I can't bear this loneliness any longer."

Sierra raised two hands. "Wait, wait, wait! I have an idea!" she told Laura. "If you let him live, I'm willing to give you something too!"

Laura rolled her eyes and frowned expectantly. "What?"

"I have a limited edition Nuka Cola jumpsuit," Sierra told her, "It's one of my most treasured possessions, but... well... I'm willing to let you have it."

Bradberton scoffed. "A Nuka-Cola jumpsuit? Hah! That's a paltry prize compared to what I'm offering."

"Sierra," Laura argued, "He wants to die. He's been here forever and I can't just - "

"I know, I know," Sierra insisted, evenly now, "Just...please think about it."

Laura glanced toward the power switch nearby to Sierra. She looked down at Bradberton's head and knew what she had to do. The poor guy had spent decade after decade here alone and he was begging to be set free.

She started toward the power switch and reached up, hesitating once more before flipping it. The power began to wind down and Bradberton sighed lowly, relief in his final words.

"Thank...you..." he gasped.

Laura couldn't look at Sierra, who was crying a little. She noticed a nearby steel door had opened, revealing a room filled with Nuka Cola, a Fat Man Launcher and the formula for the soda. She picked it up, tapped it in her hand and turned now to Sierra, who rubbed her eyes.

"Well...uh...you wanted the Nuka-Cola formula? Here it is." she said.

Sierra angrily slapped it from her hand. Laura sighed, frowning at her now. She shot a glare right back and her eyes were red.

"You killed the man who was my greatest hero, a man who revolutionized the soft drink industry and whose creations put smiles on a million faces!" she spat. "Who the hell are you to just walk in here and destroy all that?"

Laura scoffed, angry now. "You're being selfish, Sierra." she snapped, "This wasn't about what you wanted, it was about what he needed. Look, you can stand there, pout about it as much as you'd like, but it's the truth!"

Sierra seemed to think about that for a moment. She sighed. "What he needed... I hadn't thought of it that way." she replied. She looked at the other woman sadly. "It's just that... Never, not in my wildest dreams, did I think I'd get the chance to talk to Mister Bradberton in person."

Laura relaxed a little. She could understand. "Yeah, I guess I can see where you're coming from."

"To get an opportunity like that and then have it snatched away... it hit me pretty hard," Sierra continued. She smiled somewhat and bent down to retrieve the formula. "Still... I can't overlook the fact that, for one glorious, shining moment I, got to meet the man who invented Nuka-Cola. I'll never forget that. Not ever. And it wouldn't have been possible without your help. Thank you."

Laura chuckled and nodded. "You're welcome. It's been weird, but interesting."

Sierra looked around the chamber. "Hm, well...maybe there's a few things we can still use in here. You think?"

Laura's eyes landed on the nearby motorcycle. She smiled broadly and looked at Sierra. The other woman looked at it for a moment and grinned right back.

"Oh! I see!" she said.

O

Two Pack Scavvers were arguing outside of Bradburton's office door.

"...Look, all I'm saying is doggy style is NOT what you think it is!"

"Are you serious? Then why do they call it that if you can't bark when you're slapping those - "

Suddenly, the door was blasted right off of its hinges and Laura rode out of the office on the motorcycle. Sierra was clutched to her behind her, laughing with glee. She threw her hands into the air and Laura revved the engine.

The two Pack Scavvers stumbled back, watching her with surprise.

"Laura, what the fuck?" one of them cried.

Laura laughed. "Guys, look at this! We've got a motorcycle now!"

The two Pack Scavvers looked curious by the motorcycle. They stepped up to it, not quite sure what they were looking at.

"What the fuck's a motorcycle anyway?" the other asked.

Laura looked surprised. "You're serious?"

She revved the engine a few times and they backed away, unable to tear their eyes away from the machine. Laura grinned and looked back at Sierra.

"Let's show 'em!" she yelled.

She rode off through Nuka-Town USA with a glorious whoop. Sierra yelled with glee. Colter was watching them from above in his room. He scowled somewhat, noticing a few Disciples following her as she rode around the pond. He scoffed, shaking his head.

"...Hey! I want a turn!"

"Me too! Laura, stop a sec!"

"Okay, Needles, hold on!"

It took only a few minutes with Needles on the motorcycle before he wrecked it into one of the makeshift walls. He removed his helmet and shook his head.

"Well, she was a good bike," he said, shaking his head. "While she lasted."

Laura sighed dramatically. "You were good, motorcycle, really good," she added, shaking her head. Another sigh from her. "Well, maybe we can salvage it for parts or something."

Sierra stood beside her and laughed. "It was pretty funny how he jumped over that Radroach."

Suddenly, there was a loud snapping sound and the three looked back; Jet was running from around the corner, panicking.

"Shit!" he yelled, "Honey got out!"

Laura's eyes widened mere moments as a Yao Guai came rushing out behind him. Honey was the name of the beast, but it was far from sweet. Normally it was under control, but this time, it looked like a slavering, enraged animal ready to tear apart anyone within its path.

She quickly grabbed Sierra and the two stumbled into the pond with a loud splash that drew the Yao Guai's attention toward them. Snorting and growling, the animal leaned down toward Sierra and Laura as they surfaced.

"Ah! It's going to kill us!" Sierra cried.

The Yao Guai snarled louder and crouched, moments from leaping at them. Laura and Sierra held one another, cringing in anticipation for the attack. But just as the animal dove, Needles and Jet jumped onto its back with loud howling sounds.

Laura and Sierra watched the sight of them fighting to restrain the animal.

"Don't shoot her!" Jet cried.

"She's hopped up on chems, Jet what the fuck?" Needles shouted, grunting with effort.

"It wasn't me! I didn't give her any!"

"Someone fucking did!"

The Yao Guai roared, bucking against the two. Jet struggled to hold onto the animal's sides, but ended up tossed with a yell right into the water with the two women. Needles was tossed from the Yao Guai and he hit the ground hard. Jet looked at Needles desperately when the other Pack member reached for his gun.

"Needles! Needles, don't!" he pleaded.

"Sorry, Jet." Needles told him. "You know what happens to a drugged up bear."

Jet looked anguished by the thought. Laura put her arms around him. She didn't know why or what compelled her to, but he didn't argue with her. "Don't watch, Jet..." she said, quietly.

Jet shut his eyes with a sorrowful sound when the gun went off and the Yao Guai fell lifelessly to the ground. Needles sighed, lowering his gun and looking toward the three. He didn't seem to take any pleasure in what he'd done.

Later that evening, Jet and Needles were standing outside the gate arguing when Laura made her way up to them.

"I'm telling you, it wasn't me!" Jet cried, anguished. "Someone slipped her those damn chems."

"Then if it wasn't you, who did it?"

"I don't know!"

Laura walked up to them and looked at Jet with concern. "Hey, thought I'd check up on you." she said. "Are you okay?"

Jet bit his lips and wiped his eyes. "No. No I'm not fucking okay! Okay?" he spat, in a hushed tone. "Someone spiked Honey's food. I know they did!"

Needles sighed heavily through his nose. "Jet, just...go home and lay down a little." He patted the other man's shoulder gently. "I'll crash with you in a minute."

Jet had never looked so open before. He shook his head frantically. "No. Not this time, Needles. I want whoever did this to Honey to fucking - "

Needles hushed him and cupped his cheek. "Shh. I'll take care of it, I promise. Don't I always take care of you?" he assured him. "Just go home and crash in our den and I'll be there in a bit. You can take a few hits of my chems and relax."

Jet sighed, shook his head but stormed off. Laura watched him go, then turned to Needles. "I've never seen him like this before."

Needles nodded. "Yeah, he's a spitfuck when it comes to his animals. Honey was his since she was a cub. I know he wouldn't have done it. He loves his chems, but he has a thing about never giving them to his pets. I know someone did this to spite him."

Laura furrowed her brow. "Who would have done it?"

"Hell, I don't fucking know." Needles replied, with another sigh. "Only a few people knew about Jet's history with that bear. Colter, me and Mason. And Mason ain't the kind of guy to do this to his own. He'd call it a waste of chems and animals."

Laura looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, is there anything I can do?"

Needled was surprised by the offer. "Uh... well, unless you can find us a new Yao Guai, I highly doubt it." he replied.

Laura sighed. "Alright. Well, I'm going to head to bed. I'm sorry about this."

She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened.

The following morning, Laura, Dan and a few other Operators were spending their time searching Wixon's Shovel Museum.

"Shovels... Shovels..." an Operator muttered. "Oh! Look, more shovels!"

Dan shook his head and looked at Laura as she gathered a few bottles of alcohol that had been stashed under a desk.

"Alright, this place is a bust," he said.

Laura nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I told Mags I'd try to look for more wine, but I don't think I'll find any here."

"What made you think there'd be any here?" Dan looked skeptical.

"Well, I mean, you'd have to be drunk to work at this place."

Dan raised an eyebrow, then laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, guess so."

"Oh my God, guys! I found something!" an Operator yelled from the second story.

Dan and Laura looked up at him. "What'd you find, Marcus?" Dan asked.

The Operator grinned, holding up a crate filled with snacks and canned food. Laura and Dan eagerly made their way to him.

"No way!" Laura exclaimed. "Where'd you find it?"

"It was in a fake wall," the Operator told them. "I found it when I tripped and ran my elbow through it." Then, he sighed and looked at Dan with disappointment. "We need to get a steady flow of supplies coming in. Can't keep living like this forever."

Dan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know..."

Laura hesitated asking them a question that had been on her mind for a long time. Ever since the death of Honey, she had to know if they'd been responsible.

"Hey, do you guys know about Honey?" Laura asked.

Dan and Marcus frowned at her.

"Yeah, I'd heard about that drugged up bear taking a dirt nap," Dan remarked.

"Jet seems to think someone did it deliberately to hurt him."

Marcus laughed. "Hey, as far as I'm concerned, the Pack can sniff each other's asses all day," he told her, "But none of us are dumb enough to get into a cage with a Yao Guai."

"You seriously think we did it?" Dan asked, with a snort of disbelief.

"No!" Laura said, raising two hands. "No, I'm just... Something doesn't feel right about it. And since none of the gangs get along, I just thought - "

Marcus and Dan looked at each other thoughtfully. They seemed to think about her words for a moment and now, they looked suspicious.

"Yeah, it does seem a bit strange," Dan agreed. "I might have a word with Mags about it if you think it'll help. But I don't know, Laura; gangs have ways of hurting each other personally to get around Colter and Gage's rules. I wouldn't think too much on it."

But Laura did think about it. For the rest of the day.

Something was up.


End file.
